Molecular Biology

The picture shows an RNA polymerase ribozyme thought to be implicated in the origin of life. The ribozyme is shown frozen in ice to symbolize how it was frozen in time for imaging and how it works best under ice-cold conditions. The active site is highlighted by a yellow/red light and the proposed position of the template-product helix is shown in transparent. Credit: Rune KidmoseRNA is thought to have sparked the origin of life by self-copying. Researchers from Aarhus University, Denmark, and MRC LMB Cambridge, England,…

The Rocky Mountains conjure up images of grey rugged peaks capped with white. But within the upper reaches of the harsh mountain landscapes, a rosier hue often blooms.Watermelon snow, also known as glacial blood, is caused by algae that turns the snow a startling shade of red.The algae blooms in summer, forming on the snowfields that linger on glaciers, frozen lakes, rugged peaks and icy valleys in the upper reaches of mountain terrain.The darker the snow, the faster it melts — and new research sheds light on the threat…

A study by CUNY ASRC researchers, using X-ray crystallography under different conditions, revealed various shapes of a disease-related protein, offering new avenues for drug development. Credit: SciTechDaily.comNew crystallography experiments using high pressure and heat to reveal how proteins change shape could advance the development of novel drugs.Proteins do the heavy lifting of performing biochemical functions in our bodies by binding to metabolites or other proteins to complete tasks. To do this successfully,…

A groundbreaking study by the University of Maryland and NIH researchers has revealed that the enzyme bilirubin reductase is responsible for the yellow color of urine. This discovery, linking the gut microbiome to various health conditions, marks a significant advance in understanding the biological processes and potential treatments for diseases like jaundice and inflammatory bowel disease. Credit: SciTechDaily.comIn a major scientific breakthrough, researchers have identified the enzyme responsible for urine’s yellow…

Scientists at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology have identified TAF15 protein aggregates as a key factor in frontotemporal dementia, a discovery that could revolutionize diagnosis and treatment. The study also explores TAF15’s potential involvement in both frontotemporal dementia and motor neuron disease. Credit: SciTechDaily.comResearchers have established a first potential therapeutic target for a type of early-onset dementia.Most neurodegenerative diseases, including dementias, involve proteins aggregating into…

An example of what a deep brain stimulation device looks like under X-ray imaging.Photo: Hellerhoff/Wikimedia CommonsThe idea of using electricity to treat mental illness has understandably come with some stigma, given the grim and sometimes abusive history of “shock therapy” in the earliest days of psychiatry. But in the modern day, various methods of brain stimulation have shown real promise in improving depression and other illnesses that otherwise looked untreatable. These treatments, it’s theorized, can somewhat…

A groundbreaking study at UMass Amherst has decoded how sugars attached to proteins guide their correct folding, shedding light on potential treatments for diseases caused by protein misfolding. This protein (red) has been glycosolated with glycans (blue and green). Credit: UMass Amherst Team’s approach reveals crucial role played by a specific enzyme in the folding process. While we often think of diseases as caused by foreign bodies—bacteria or viruses—there are hundreds of diseases affecting humans that result from…

Researchers at the University of Connecticut found that extra-cellular vesicles (EVs) in human cells can transport bacterial products to other cells, impacting health. This discovery, which elucidates how bacterial elements enter cells, has significant implications for understanding immune responses and cellular communication. Credit: SciTechDaily.com It’s well known that bacterial products can get inside human cells; Now, researchers can finally explain how. Messenger bubbles produced by human cells can pick up…

MIT researchers have developed a method that allows them to observe up to seven different molecules at a time, and potentially even more than that. Using fluorescent labels that switch on and off, MIT engineers can study how molecules in a cell interact to control the cell’s behavior. Living cells are bombarded with many kinds of incoming molecular signal that influence their behavior. Being able to measure those signals and how cells respond to them through downstream molecular signaling networks could help scientists…

Chemists have resurrected the Barbier method using mechanochemistry, replacing hazardous solvents with a solvent-free approach. This advancement promises safer and more sustainable manufacturing, particularly in pharmaceuticals.Organic synthesis is the art of creating molecules, where chemists craft molecules essential for pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and high-tech gadget materials, including those in smartphones. Think of it as playing with LEGO at a microscopic level – chemists connect simple building blocks to…