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New studies reveal common DNA replication mechanisms in humans and yeast

Humans and baker's yeast have more in common than meets the eye, including an important mechanism that helps ensure DNA is copied correctly, reports a pair of studies published in the journals Science and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

1 Aug 2024

New nanosensing technique enhances quality control for gene therapy vectors

Over the past few decades, there has been remarkable progress in genetic manipulation technologies, bringing us closer to the point where genes can be modified in vivo.

1 Aug 2024

Single-cell RNA sequencing sheds light on stroke-induced brain damage

Strokes lead to irreversible damage to the brain and are one of the most common causes of dependency or death.

1 Aug 2024

Novel anti-tuberculosis compound targets bacterial membrane protein

Researchers from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) and the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) have together succeeded in identifying and synthesizing a group of molecules that can act against the cause of tuberculosis in a new way. In the scientific journal Cell Chemical Biology, they describe that the so-called callyaerins act against the infectious disease by employing a fundamentally different mechanism compared to antibiotic agents used to date.

1 Aug 2024

Scientists capture NMDAR protein's 'twist' motion, key to brain signaling

Proteins are constantly performing a kind of dance. They move and contort their bodies to fulfill specific functions inside our bodies. The NMDAR protein executes an especially hard dance routine in our brains. One wrong step can lead to a range of neurological disorders. NMDAR binds to the neurotransmitter, glutamate, and another compound, glycine. These bindings control NMDAR's dance steps. When their routine is over, the NMDAR opens. This open ion channel generates electrical signals critical for cognitive functions like memory.

1 Aug 2024

Microbes play key role in carcinogenesis

At any given time, over 10 trillion microbes call our guts their home. From breaking down nutrients in our food to strengthening our immunity against pathogens, these microbes play an essential role in how we interact with the world. This includes – as shown in a new study by EMBL researchers and collaborators at the University of Split, Croatia – the way the body responds to carcinogens and develops cancer.

1 Aug 2024

Salk Institute receives CIRM funding for stem cell research on aging and neurodegeneration

The Salk Institute was awarded $3.6 million by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), one of the world's largest institutions dedicated to regenerative medicine.

31 Jul 2024

Powerful visualization technologies offer new insight into understanding muscle contraction in humans

The connections between the nervous system and muscles develop differently across the kingdom of life.

31 Jul 2024

Vegan diet may slow aging

Vegan diets showed short-term benefits on epigenetic aging compared to omnivorous diets in healthy twins, with reduced epigenetic age metrics observed in the vegan group. However, telomere length and overall mitotic clock values remained unchanged for both diets.

31 Jul 2024

New discovery unveils key process in DNA repair pathway

An elegant collaboration between researchers in the UK's two core-funded Medical Research Council Research Institutes, the Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS) in London and the Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) in Cambridge, has solved a decades-old mystery which could pave the way to better cancer treatments in the future.

31 Jul 2024

MD Anderson and collaborators initiate space project to explore T cell behavior in microgravity

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and collaborators are initiating a research project that will send T cells to the International Space Station (ISS) to study the effects of prolonged microgravity on cell differentiation, activation, memory and exhaustion.

31 Jul 2024

Study reveals personalized brain connectivity in blind individuals

A study led by Georgetown University neuroscientists reveals that the part of the brain that receives and processes visual information in sighted people develops a unique connectivity pattern in people born blind. They say this pattern in the primary visual cortex is unique to each person -; akin to a fingerprint.

31 Jul 2024

Quantum simulation drives breakthrough in drug development

Led by University of Melbourne theoretician and HPC expert Associate Professor Giuseppe Barca, a research team has achieved the first quantum simulation of biological systems at a scale necessary to accurately model drug performance.

31 Jul 2024

Innovative tissue slicing method for improved clinical outcomes

In a pioneering development for the biomedical field, a research team led by Yuanjin Zhao from Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, China, has published a research article in Engineering. The article, titled "Controllable Histotomy Based on Hierarchical Magnetic Microneedle Array Robots," introduces a novel technique for tissue slicing and cultivation that could revolutionize the way primary tissues are handled in clinical settings.

30 Jul 2024

Genetic loss of miR-205 boosts mammary gland development in mice, reveals new insights into breast cancer suppression

Genetic loss of miR-205 in mice enhances mammary gland development and branching, challenging previous lethality findings and highlighting its onco-suppressive functions.

30 Jul 2024

Applied Microbiology International strengthens network with 11 new Global Ambassadors

Applied Microbiology International has announced that it has recruited 11 new Global Ambassadors from around the world.

30 Jul 2024

Epigenetic reprogramming and hypothalamic changes in metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a multifaceted disorder that impacts approximately 20–25% of the global population.

30 Jul 2024

Study finds higher levels of lncRNAs in the testes than previously estimated

Researchers at the University of Toronto have mapped the spatial distribution of around 700 long non-coding RNAs, otherwise known as lncRNAs, in the testes.

30 Jul 2024

ACE technology enhances single-cell protein detection with advanced signal amplification

Since the 1950s, researchers have used a famous method invented by Wallace Coulter known as "flow cytometry" to characterize different types of immune cells in research studies and in blood samples from human individuals.

30 Jul 2024

Genetic variants associated with Parkinson's more common than estimated

New research has found that genetic variants associated with Parkinson's disease (PD) are more common than researchers previously believed. Investigators in the Parkinson's Foundation-backed PD GENEration study – which reached its goal of 15,000 participants ahead of schedule this spring – found that 13% of participants have a genetic form of PD, which is a significant observation compared to long-standing estimates. Results from the first 3.5 years of the study, which examined a broad North American cohort, were published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Brain.

30 Jul 2024