Molecular & Structural Biology

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Two proteins joined together using a free-standing, rigid link

Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI are the first to have joined two proteins together by means of a free-standing, rigid link. The structural element holds the two protein molecules together at a defined distance and angle, much the way a barbell handle connects two weights.

29 Sep 2021

Methylation of TDP-43 DNA linked to age-dependent motor cortex involvement in ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an intractable neurological disease. Aging is a risk factor for the accumulation of TDP-43 (transduction responsive region DNA-binding protein of 43kDa) in the motor cortex. TDP-43 is a protein that tends to accumulate in increasing amounts, and the amount is strictly controlled by the splicing of TDP-43. Through cell experiments and analysis of human brain tissue, researchers at Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, led by Akihiro Sugai, M.D., Ph.D., have found that methylation of TDP-43 DNA is involved in the background of motor cortex involvement with aging in ALS

29 Sep 2021

New findings highlight the need to expand the toolbox to fight against COVID-19

When Kamlendra Singh flew back to Missouri from India in April, he developed a cough and fever on the plane, despite being vaccinated for COVID-19 and testing negative for the virus right before departure.

28 Sep 2021

Supercoiling and looping can transmit mechanical stress along the DNA backbone, research shows

When people think of DNA, they visualize a string-like double helix structure. In reality, the DNA double helix in cells is supercoiled and constrained into loops. This supercoiling and looping are known to influence every aspect of DNA activity, but how this happens has not been clear.

28 Sep 2021

Research reveals nucleolar RNA interference based on C. elegans as a model organism

A research group led by Prof. GUANG Shouhong from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, collaborating with Prof. FENG Xuezhu from the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, revealed the nucleolar RNA interference based on Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) as a model organism. The study was published in Nuclear Acids Research.

28 Sep 2021

Researchers discover working mechanism of potential drug targets for COVID-19

A team of international researchers, including McGill Professor Stéphane Laporte, have discovered the working mechanism of potential drug targets for various diseases such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and even COVID-19.

28 Sep 2021

Researchers develop new method for rapidly detecting SARS-CoV-2 RNA

DTU-researchers develop a novel method for rapidly detecting SARS-CoV-2 RNA that may also be designed to detect other diseases.

27 Sep 2021

Researchers describe a novel role for hnRNP E1 protein in binding DNA in the nucleus

Cancer is a devastating disease and is the second leading cause of death in the U.S. One of the hallmarks of cancer is genomic instability, or the tendency to accumulate mutations and damage to the DNA that leads to genome alterations during cell division.

25 Sep 2021

Research explores the evolution and function of human growth hormone receptor gene

A new study delves into the evolution and function of the human growth hormone receptor gene and asks what forces in humanity's past may have driven changes to this vital piece of DNA.

25 Sep 2021

Study identifies master regulator behind the development of antibody-producing cells

The master regulator behind the development of antibody-producing cells has been identified in a study by investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine. The findings provide new insight into the inner workings of the immune system and may help understand how tissues develop and how certain cancers arise.

24 Sep 2021

Exploring the polymerase of poxviruses at an atomic level

Poxviruses have found a unique way of translating their genes into proteins in the infected organism. A team of researchers from Würzburg shows for the first time how the molecular machinery involved works at an atomic level.

24 Sep 2021

Neuroscientists discover how associative memories are formed

Has the scent of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies ever taken you back to afternoons at your grandmother's house? Has an old song ever brought back memories of a first date? The ability to remember relationships between unrelated items (an odor and a location, a song and an event) is known as associative memory.

23 Sep 2021

Bubble and droplet formation theory inspires a framework for engineering living cells

The heady math that describes how bubbles form in a glass of Champagne has inspired a framework for engineering living cells.

23 Sep 2021

UW research provides a basic structure of neural networks in the mammalian brain

Two University of Wyoming researchers decided to pick each other's brain, so to speak. Specifically, they examined the importance of the frontal cortex, the portion of the brain used in decision-making, expressive language and voluntary movement.

22 Sep 2021

Researchers unravel the structure of bacterial appendages

A research team led by David Thanassi, PhD, of Stony Brook University, has used molecular biology and cryoelectron microscopy to successfully unravel the structure of bacterial appendages called P pili.

22 Sep 2021

Scientists use statistical mechanics to make sense of DNA folding

At more than 2 meters long, the human DNA molecule uses intricate folding patterns to fit into cells while locally unfolding to express genes. Such phenomena, however, are difficult to measure in experiments, and theoretical frameworks explaining them continue to be at odds with one another.

22 Sep 2021

Researchers provide structural insights into HCV receptor binding and entry

In a new paper published in Nature, scientists from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, describe the structure of a key protein on the surface of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and how it interacts with its receptor found on some human cells.

21 Sep 2021

Molecular & Structural Biology

Two proteins joined together using a free-standing, rigid link

Methylation of TDP-43 DNA linked to age-dependent motor cortex involvement in ALS

New findings highlight the need to expand the toolbox to fight against COVID-19

Supercoiling and looping can transmit mechanical stress along the DNA backbone, research shows

Research reveals nucleolar RNA interference based on C. elegans as a model organism

Researchers discover working mechanism of potential drug targets for COVID-19

Researchers develop new method for rapidly detecting SARS-CoV-2 RNA

Researchers describe a novel role for hnRNP E1 protein in binding DNA in the nucleus

Research explores the evolution and function of human growth hormone receptor gene

Study identifies master regulator behind the development of antibody-producing cells

Exploring the polymerase of poxviruses at an atomic level

Neuroscientists discover how associative memories are formed

Bubble and droplet formation theory inspires a framework for engineering living cells

UW research provides a basic structure of neural networks in the mammalian brain

Researchers unravel the structure of bacterial appendages

Scientists use statistical mechanics to make sense of DNA folding

Researchers provide structural insights into HCV receptor binding and entry

New open-source, multi-disciplinary simulation platform to study biological processes

SARS-CoV-2 NSP1 protein suppresses host genes while enhancing viral RNA expression

New study reveals chemical steps in an important cellular modification process

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

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