Molecular & Structural Biology

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New light-activated method targets cancer and inflammatory cells with precision

A new method of precisely targeting troublesome cells for death using light could unlock new understanding of and treatments for cancer and inflammatory diseases, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers report.

1 Jul 2024

New weakness found in antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Antibiotic resistant bacteria are experts in evolving new strategies to avoid being killed by antibiotics.

1 Jul 2024

ERC Advanced Grant aids study on ubiquitin in DNA repair and genome stability

Professor Helle Ulrich, Executive Director of the Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB) and professor at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU), has been awarded an Advanced Grant from the European Research Council (ERC).

28 Jun 2024

MICROBIOMES4SOY: Harnessing microbiome innovations for sustainable food systems

MICROBIOMES4SOY responds to the urgent call on World Microbiome Day to transition to healthier, more environmentally friendly, plant-based diets.

27 Jun 2024

Study identifies key neurons controlling threat response and escape in mice

Neuroscientists have discovered how the brain bidirectionally controls sensitivity to threats to initiate and complete escape behaviour in mice. These findings could help unlock new directions for discovering therapies for anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

27 Jun 2024

Novel approach can make many more bacteria amenable to genetic engineering

Bacteria possess unique traits with great potential for benefiting society. However, current genetic engineering methods to harness these advantages are limited to a small fraction of bacterial species.

26 Jun 2024

Using deep learning to design synthetic soluble versions of cell membrane proteins

Many drug and antibody discovery pathways focus on intricately folded cell membrane proteins: when molecules of a drug candidate bind to these proteins, like a key going into a lock, they trigger chemical cascades that alter cellular behavior.

21 Jun 2024

Breakthrough in enzyme communication could pave the way for new drugs

A mechanism that could help scientists harness enzymes for use in drug discovery has been discovered in a research breakthrough at the University of Birmingham.

20 Jun 2024

Novel method for 'rationally engineering' enzymes to deliver improved performance

Scientists have prototyped a new method for "rationally engineering" enzymes to deliver improved performance.

20 Jun 2024

Researchers propose a 'protein aggregation clock' to measure aging and health

Could measuring protein clumps in our cells be a new way to find out our risk of getting age-related diseases? Professor Dorothee Dormann and Professor Edward Lemke of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU), who are also adjunct directors at the Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB) in Mainz, propose the concept of a "protein aggregation clock" to measure ageing and health in a new perspective article published in Nature Cell Biology.

19 Jun 2024

Open-access atlas unveils the molecular mechanisms of roundworm aging

A new aging atlas gives scientists an in-depth view of how individual cells and tissues in worms age and how different lifespan-extending strategies might stop the clock.

18 Jun 2024

Scientists reveal new insights into how red light-regulated histidine kinases function

Scientists have revealed new information on how red light-regulated histidine kinases function.

14 Jun 2024

HiDEF-seq technique reveals the origins of DNA mutations in single strands

Mutations are changes in the molecular "letters" that make up the DNA code, the blueprint for all living cells. Some of these changes can have little effect, but others can lead to diseases, including cancer.

12 Jun 2024

Researchers engineer water-soluble histidine kinase for enhanced antibiotic drug screens

A bacterial enzyme called histidine kinase is a promising target for new classes of antibiotics. However, it has been difficult to develop drugs that target this enzyme, because it is a "hydrophobic" protein that loses its structure once removed from its normal location in the cell membrane.

11 Jun 2024

Johns Hopkins researchers discover how epilepsy drug modulates brain activity

By super cooling a molecule on the surface of brain cells down to about minus 180 degrees Celsius -; nearly twice as cold as the coldest places in Antarctica -; scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have determined how a widely-used epilepsy drug works to dampen the excitability of brain cells and help to control, although not cure, seizures.

10 Jun 2024

CSHL team identifies crucial protein interactions in RNA splicing process

Bodybuilders and cellular mechanisms agree generating protein is a heavy lift. To complete the task, cells rely on complexes called spliceosomes.

10 Jun 2024

Simple peptide modification could unlock a whole class of targets for drug discovery

A relatively simple peptide modification could unlock a whole class of targets for drug discovery, new research shows.

7 Jun 2024

Father's diet before conception can impact children's metabolic health, study finds

Research reveals that a father's high-fat diet can influence offspring's metabolic health through changes in sperm mitochondrial RNA, potentially leading to glucose intolerance.

7 Jun 2024

UCLA researchers discover key protein regulating blood stem cell self-renewal

UCLA scientists have identified a protein that plays a critical role in regulating human blood stem cell self-renewal by helping them sense and interpret signals from their environment.

5 Jun 2024

Salk researchers unveil SWI/SNF variants' role in macrophage immune responses

Bacteria, parasites, viruses-;the immune system tackles them all. At the front line of the human immune response are cells called macrophages, which are responsible for correctly identifying intruders and then directing how the entire immune system responds.

5 Jun 2024