Molecular & Structural Biology

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Scientists reveal anti-inflammatory molecules that play an important role in aging

Aging involves complicated plot twists and a large cast of characters: inflammation, stress, metabolism changes, and many others. Now, a team of Salk Institute and UC San Diego scientists reveal another factor implicated in the aging process - a class of lipids called SGDGs (3-sulfogalactosyl diacylglycerols) that decline in the brain with age and may have anti-inflammatory effects.

31 Oct 2022

Study reports on a novel property of antibodies, light chain coherence

Researchers investigate whether pairs of unrelated B-cells that have similar heavy chains also have the same light chains.

30 Oct 2022

Study reveals the molecular mechanisms of dynamic activation of DNMT1 by H3Ub2

This study is led by Dr. Na Yang (State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Key Laboratory of Medical Data Analysis and Statistical Research of Tianjin, Nankai University), and Dr. Bing Zhu (National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Science).

28 Oct 2022

Researchers propose origin-of-life molecule as therapeutic target for tailored cancer therapies

RNA, the molecule that gave rise to life, has been shown to be essential for repairing human genetic material and preventing mutations that might lead to developing cancer.

28 Oct 2022

Ancient viral DNA in human genomes protects cells against present-day viruses

Viral DNA in human genomes, embedded there from ancient infections, serve as antivirals that protect human cells against certain present-day viruses, according to new research.

27 Oct 2022

RNA-sensing platform could help detect and selectively kill tumors, or edit the genome in specific cells

Researchers at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT have developed a system that can detect a particular RNA sequence in live cells and produce a protein of interest in response.

27 Oct 2022

Increased Gibbs energy of binding indicates greater infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 BA.2.75

Researchers explore the thermodynamic properties of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariant BA.2.75 to understand its increased transmissibility.

27 Oct 2022

Discovery provides better understanding of retinal protein's structure and function

Scientists have discovered a mechanism by which an area of a protein shape-shifts to convert vitamin A into a form usable by the eye's light-sensing photoreceptor cells.

26 Oct 2022

DNA damage in older age increases expression of ACE2 and SARS-CoV-2 infection risk

Impaired DNA repair capacity among elderly increases expression of ACE2 receptor.

26 Oct 2022

Using a nanotechnology-packed bubble to detect SARS-CoV-2 virus

Scientists have shown that they can detect SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in the air by using a nanotechnology-packed bubble that spills its chemical contents like a broken piñata when encountering the virus.

25 Oct 2022

Overview of the roles of neutrophils in systemic autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases

Researchers assess the role of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in systemic autoimmune and autoinflammatory disorders.

23 Oct 2022

Building DNA-based synthetic condensates with programmable compositions and functionalities

Recent studies have shown that liquid-liquid phase separation – akin to how oil droplets form in water – leads to formation of diverse types of membraneless organelles, such as stress granules and nucleoli, in living cells.

21 Oct 2022

Competition may play important role in brain evolution, killifish study shows

In response to a high-competition environment, Trinidadian killifish evolve larger brains, increasing their fitness and survival rates, according to a new study in Ecology Letters by biologists at The University of Texas at Arlington.

20 Oct 2022

MTCH2 acts as a doorway for proteins into the mitochondrial membrane, study reveals

Mitochondria - the organelles responsible for energy production in human cells - were once free-living organisms that found their way into early eukaryotic cells over a billion years ago.

20 Oct 2022

Amygdala may also be to blame for overeating, research finds

A region of the brain called the amygdala is responsible for powerful emotions like fear. Now, researchers have found the amygdala may also be to blame for overeating.

20 Oct 2022

Scientists map structure of the hepatitis C virus E1E2 glycoprotein complex

A team led by scientists at Scripps Research and the University of Amsterdam has achieved an important goal in virology: mapping, at high resolution, critical proteins that stud the surface of the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and enable it to enter host cells.

20 Oct 2022

SARS-CoV-2 virus alters the composition of breast milk, research shows

A research team from the University of Huelva in collaboration with the MilkCORONA initiative has demonstrated that the SARS-CoV-2 virus alters the composition of breast milk.

19 Oct 2022

Newly identified brain molecule orchestrates the immune system's responses to Alzheimer's and MS

UVA Health researchers have discovered a molecule in the brain responsible for orchestrating the immune system's responses to Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis (MS), potentially allowing doctors to supercharge the body's ability to fight those and other devastating neurological diseases.

17 Oct 2022

KAUST study reveals unexpected role for zinc in the prevention of Parkinson's disease

Revealing zinc's interaction with a critical transport protein underscores the need to study biological pathways under physiologically relevant conditions.

17 Oct 2022

Scientists reveal the architecture of the inner ear responsible for hearing

Scientists at Oregon Health & Science University have revealed, for the first time and in near-atomic detail, the structure of the key part of the inner ear responsible for hearing.

12 Oct 2022

Molecular & Structural Biology

Scientists reveal anti-inflammatory molecules that play an important role in aging

Study reports on a novel property of antibodies, light chain coherence

Study reveals the molecular mechanisms of dynamic activation of DNMT1 by H3Ub2

Researchers propose origin-of-life molecule as therapeutic target for tailored cancer therapies

Ancient viral DNA in human genomes protects cells against present-day viruses

RNA-sensing platform could help detect and selectively kill tumors, or edit the genome in specific cells

Increased Gibbs energy of binding indicates greater infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 BA.2.75

Discovery provides better understanding of retinal protein's structure and function

DNA damage in older age increases expression of ACE2 and SARS-CoV-2 infection risk

Using a nanotechnology-packed bubble to detect SARS-CoV-2 virus

Overview of the roles of neutrophils in systemic autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases

Building DNA-based synthetic condensates with programmable compositions and functionalities

Competition may play important role in brain evolution, killifish study shows

MTCH2 acts as a doorway for proteins into the mitochondrial membrane, study reveals

Amygdala may also be to blame for overeating, research finds

Scientists map structure of the hepatitis C virus E1E2 glycoprotein complex

SARS-CoV-2 virus alters the composition of breast milk, research shows

Newly identified brain molecule orchestrates the immune system's responses to Alzheimer's and MS

KAUST study reveals unexpected role for zinc in the prevention of Parkinson's disease

Scientists reveal the architecture of the inner ear responsible for hearing

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