Molecular & Structural Biology

RSS

Scientists identify molecules in mucus that can block cholera infection

MIT researchers have identified molecules found in mucus that can block cholera infection by interfering with the genes that cause the microbe to switch into a harmful state.

13 Dec 2022

RNA-targeting CRISPR technology alleviates disease-related phenotypes in Huntington’s models

Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurological disorder that causes progressive loss of movement, coordination and cognitive function.

12 Dec 2022

CRISPR/Cas9-engineered avatar mouse model of rare disease paves the way for targeted therapy

An international research team led by Dr Ana Guadaño at the Alberto Sols Biomedical Research Institute (IIBM, a combined CSIC-UAM center) and involving the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), used CRISPR gene editing techniques to incorporate into the mice a mutation of the MCT8 protein responsible for transporting thyroid hormones to the interior of the cell.

12 Dec 2022

New computer model can help researchers to spot which cells acquire alterations during development

Scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have developed a computer model -; dubbed quantitative fate mapping -; that looks back in the developmental timeline to trace the origin of cells in a fully grown organism

12 Dec 2022

Severe COVID-19 causes aging-like changes in the human brain

Severe COVID-19 triggers aging-like changes in the brain's frontal cortex region that results in cognitive deficits.

11 Dec 2022

SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins utilize different mechanisms to bind to ACE2

Researchers apply computational approaches to study the binding mechanisms of the SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV spike proteins to the ACE2 receptor.

11 Dec 2022

Structural studies pave the way for cancer drugs that could target only mutated versions

To design drugs that stall the growth of aggressive cancers, it helps to know the structures of the proteins that are revving the cancers' engines.

9 Dec 2022

Overexpression of lncRNA MVIH may serve as a potential diagnostic biomarker in cervical cancer

A new research paper was published in Genes & Cancer on November 23, 2022, entitled, "Ectopic expression of lncRNA MVIH as a potential diagnostic biomarker in cervical cancer."

9 Dec 2022

Landmark study challenges a 70-year-old theory of protein folding

A landmark study by researchers at the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University reveals how a tiny cellular machine called TRiC directs the folding of tubulin, a human protein that is the building block of microtubules that serve as the cell’s scaffolding and transport system.

9 Dec 2022

Better understanding of DNA repair mechanism may pave the way for effective cancer treatments

Better understanding of the mechanisms involved in DNA repair may pave the way for developing inhibitors to improve the effectiveness of radiation therapy.

9 Dec 2022

Artificial sweetener linked to anxiety-like behavior in mice

Florida State University College of Medicine researchers have linked aspartame, an artificial sweetener found in nearly 5,000 diet foods and drinks, to anxiety-like behavior in mice.

8 Dec 2022

Discovery of cellular uptake pathway for larger molecules can be harnessed to create new drugs

A fundamental challenge in drug development is the balance between optimizing a drug's lock-and-key fit with its target and the drug's ability to make its way across the cellular membrane and access that target.

8 Dec 2022

Understanding why respiratory infections are more common in the winter

Researchers investigate the role of extracellular vesicles in the innate nasal mucosal response to several respiratory viruses.

6 Dec 2022

Study predicts persistent cross-species SARS-CoV-2 variant infectivity

Scientists believe bats first transmitted SARS-CoV-2 to humans in December 2019, and while the virus has since evolved into several variants such as delta and omicron, a new study indicates the virus is still highly transmissible between mammals.

5 Dec 2022

Researchers use loop-seq technology to decipher the mechanical code of DNA

A new study has deciphered the mechanical code of DNA to reveal previously unknown ways in which nature encodes biological information in DNA sequence.

5 Dec 2022

New Collaborative Research Center investigates how Treg cells influence immunological and tissue-specific diseases

The German Research Foundation (DFG) has approved the establishment and funding of the Collaborative Research Center/Transregio (CRC/TRR) 355 "Heterogeneity and functional specialization of regulatory T cells in distinct microenvironments".

2 Dec 2022

Study implicates a specific type of brain cell as key player underlying the impact of stressors

More than 70% of adults will experience at least one traumatic experience, such as a life-threatening illness or accident, violent assault or natural disaster, in their lifetimes and nearly a third will experience four or more, according to global data.

1 Dec 2022

Study reveals key details of how DREADD technology highjacks neuronal activity

Understanding of how neuronal activity modulates brain function is a key first step towards creating more effective drugs to treat a variety of neuropsychiatric illnesses, including depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, substance abuse, epilepsy, and others.

30 Nov 2022

Removal of cilia from the brain's striatum impairs time perception and judgment, study finds

Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have discovered that removal of cilia from the brain's striatum region impaired time perception and judgment, revealing possible new therapeutic targets for mental and neurological conditions including schizophrenia, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases, autism spectrum disorder, and Tourette syndrome.

30 Nov 2022

Scientists discover how an enzyme involved in DNA repair becomes vital to tumor survival

Scientists at the Francis Crick Institute, in collaboration with Artios, have identified how an enzyme involved in DNA repair (POLQ), becomes vital to the survival of certain cancers, if the cancer cells lose the ability to use a more common method of DNA repair.

30 Nov 2022

Molecular & Structural Biology

Scientists identify molecules in mucus that can block cholera infection

RNA-targeting CRISPR technology alleviates disease-related phenotypes in Huntington’s models

CRISPR/Cas9-engineered avatar mouse model of rare disease paves the way for targeted therapy

New computer model can help researchers to spot which cells acquire alterations during development

Severe COVID-19 causes aging-like changes in the human brain

SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins utilize different mechanisms to bind to ACE2

Structural studies pave the way for cancer drugs that could target only mutated versions

Overexpression of lncRNA MVIH may serve as a potential diagnostic biomarker in cervical cancer

Landmark study challenges a 70-year-old theory of protein folding

Better understanding of DNA repair mechanism may pave the way for effective cancer treatments

Artificial sweetener linked to anxiety-like behavior in mice

Discovery of cellular uptake pathway for larger molecules can be harnessed to create new drugs

Understanding why respiratory infections are more common in the winter

Study predicts persistent cross-species SARS-CoV-2 variant infectivity

Researchers use loop-seq technology to decipher the mechanical code of DNA

New Collaborative Research Center investigates how Treg cells influence immunological and tissue-specific diseases

Study implicates a specific type of brain cell as key player underlying the impact of stressors

Study reveals key details of how DREADD technology highjacks neuronal activity

Removal of cilia from the brain's striatum impairs time perception and judgment, study finds

Scientists discover how an enzyme involved in DNA repair becomes vital to tumor survival

Small solutions for big problems in drug discovery and delivery

Professor Nancy Ip: Pioneering New Paths in Neurodegenerative Therapy

Utilizing process Raman in optimizing cultivated meat production

Latest Life Science News