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Unraveling the role of neo-sex chromosomes in mitigating sexual conflict

Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have taken a big step in solving the mystery around why animals evolve sex chromosomes.

4 Aug 2024

Unraveling complex genetic and environmental landscape of schizophrenia

Patrick Sullivan, MD, FRANZCP, the Yeargan Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Genetics at the UNC School of Medicine, and researchers at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden, have developed a comprehensive outline of the genetics of schizophrenia.

2 Aug 2024

Groundbreaking discovery reveals novel macrophages crucial for lung repair after viral infection

Researchers at the University of Liège (Belgium) have discovered a new population of macrophages, important innate immune cells that populate the lungs after injury caused by respiratory viruses.

2 Aug 2024

Revolutionary real-time microscopy unveils secrets of motor protein behavior

A team led by Professor Seo Dae-ha of the Department of Physics and Chemistry at DGIST (President Lee Kun-woo) has developed new real-time microscopy technology and successfully observed the behavior of "motor proteins", which may hold the key to unraveling the efficient material transport strategy of cells.

2 Aug 2024

Advanced imaging techniques shed light on single cells

Every plant, animal, and person is a rich microcosm of tiny, specialized cells. These cells are worlds unto themselves, each with their own unique parts and processes that elude the naked eye.

2 Aug 2024

How machine learning is accelerating research in structural biology

For Lucas Farnung, there is no question more fascinating than how a single fertilized egg develops into a fully-functioning human.

2 Aug 2024

Mast cells found to capture and employ neutrophils during allergic reactions

Known for their role in allergic reactions, mast cells have long been recognised as key players in our immune system.

2 Aug 2024

New study links obesity to bacterium Megamonas

A recent study published in Cell Host & Microbe identifies a potential obesity-linked bacterium, Megamonas, from a large-scale cohort of obese individuals in China.

2 Aug 2024

Using advanced CRISPR to boost efficiency of CAR-T cell therapies

CAR-T cells are highly effective in treating selected blood cancers. However, challenges remain with this new therapy, which was first approved in 2017 in the USA and a year later in Europe for treating acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

2 Aug 2024

Study reveals how coinfecting phages impede each other’s entry into bacterial cells

The process by which phages - viruses that infect and replicate within bacteria - enter cells has been studied for over 50 years.

2 Aug 2024

Uncovering hidden drug benefits through protein mapping

Fewer side effects, improved chances of healing: the goal of precision medicine is to provide patients with the most individualized treatment possible. This requires a precise understanding of what is happening at the cellular level. For the first time, researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have now succeeded in mapping the interactions of 144 active substances with around 8,000 proteins. The results could help to identify previously unknown potential benefits of existing drugs.

2 Aug 2024

Researchers identify strategy to design safer opioids

Opioid medications offer people relief from debilitating pain, but these drugs come with dangers: the risk for addiction, miserable withdrawal symptoms and the potential for fatal overdose.

2 Aug 2024

Groundbreaking method dmSLAY improves antimicrobial peptide effectiveness and safety

Researchers developed a high-throughput method, dmSLAY, to assess thousands of AMP variants, combining it with machine learning to enhance membrane selectivity and reduce toxicity.

1 Aug 2024

St. Jude develops cost-effective genetic panel for pediatric cancer diagnosis

Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have created a panel that is able to provide a diagnosis for >90% of pediatric cancer patients by sequencing 0.15% of the human genome.

1 Aug 2024

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