Molecular & Structural Biology

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Scientists uncover how a build-up of harmful protein starts to happen in Parkinson's disease

Scientists at the Francis Crick Institute, UCL and the University of Edinburgh have uncovered how a build-up of harmful protein starts to happen within neurons in Parkinson's disease, ultimately causing nerve cell death.

30 Aug 2022

Popular genetic method is deeply flawed, study reveals

The most common analytical method within population genetics is deeply flawed, according to a new study from Lund University in Sweden.

30 Aug 2022

In vivo imaging of α-synuclein aggregates in the brains of living patients with multiple system atrophy

α-synuclein is a neuronal protein involved in functions like vesicle trafficking and neurotransmitter release. It is typically found in abundance in a healthy brain.

30 Aug 2022

Vitamin D mediates crosstalk between COVID-19 and osteoporosis

Researchers identify and characterize the targets of Vit D on COVID-19 and osteoporosis.

30 Aug 2022

Researchers create first mouse model carrying a disease-associated mitochondrial mutation

Studying the role of mitochondria—the specialized structures within cells responsible for energy production—in metabolic diseases has been difficult because of a lack of animal models with the necessary mitochondrial mutations to observe these tiny organelles.

30 Aug 2022

Disrupting a virus’s genome packaging can halt replication, study finds

Like savvy international travelers, viruses know exactly how to pack. With the genetic instructions for the next generation folded just so, snuggled into a custom-made outer covering studded with cell-grabbing proteins, these tiny invaders quest for new digs on the reg.

30 Aug 2022

Study reveals a 'stealing' mechanism that contributes to antibody diversity

A few years ago, Professor Kathrin de la Rosa and her colleagues in the lab of the Swiss immunologist Antonio Lanzavecchia made an unusual discovery.

29 Aug 2022

Viruses modify host cellular machinery to produce high amounts of viral progeny

The study, published in Nature Communications, shows a new mechanism whereby viruses modify cellular machinery so that it can better read the instructions in the genome of the invading virus.

29 Aug 2022

Researchers receive $1.2 million Keck Foundation grant to find molecules for targeting the 'undruggable proteome'

The W.M. Keck Foundation has awarded a $1.2 million grant to medicinal chemistry and computational biology researchers at the University of Kansas and the University of Chicago focused on addressing a long-unresolved problem in biomedical research -; finding molecules able to target the "undruggable proteome."

29 Aug 2022

Inactivation of particular protein complex associated with Parkinson's and anxiety disorders

Inactivation of a particular protein complex that plays a key role in keeping genes switched off leads to nerve cells not producing enough essential neurotransmitters.

29 Aug 2022

NRL fungal experiment to launch as part of NASA's scheduled Artemis I mission

An experiment prepared by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) will launch as part of NASA's scheduled Artemis I mission to orbit the moon Aug. 29.

26 Aug 2022

Evolution can favor flexible proteins, research suggests

When you think of proteins – the enzymes, signaling molecules, and structural components in every living thing – you might think of single strands of amino acids, organized like beads on a string.

26 Aug 2022

Study identifies novel neutrophil biomarkers of delayed recovery in COVID-19

Researchers map the proteomes of peripheral blood neutrophils isolated from hospitalized COVID-19 patients using high-resolution LC-MS.

25 Aug 2022

Unconventional T cells influence immune responses in the lymph nodes

Lymph nodes trigger very different immune responses – depending on which body tissue they are connected to. Special T cells are responsible for this newly discovered relation.

23 Aug 2022

UCI study uncovers key insights into 'parasitic genes'

They are considered "parasitic genes." Even though they comprise over half of human DNA, much remains to be learned about them.

23 Aug 2022

Common molecular tool for DNA labelling shows unexpected anticancer properties

Scientists at the UNC School of Medicine have made the surprising discovery that a molecule called EdU, which is commonly used in laboratory experiments to label DNA, is in fact recognized by human cells as DNA damage, triggering a runaway process of DNA repair that is eventually fatal to affected cells, including cancer cells.

23 Aug 2022