molecular

Candida albicans usually co-exists peacefully in the body, but under the right conditions it transforms into hyphae, the dark red filaments pictured above, which can form harmful biofilms. Research shows that a gut hormone called peptide YY also plays a vital role in maintaining the health of the gut microbiome by preventing helpful fungi from turning into more dangerous, disease-causing forms.Peptide YY (PYY), a hormone produced by gut endocrine cells that was already known to control appetite, also plays an important…

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…

Researchers at Kyoto University have made significant strides in understanding Down syndrome, focusing on the protein kinase DYRK1A. Their discoveries offer new insights into the molecular mechanisms of Down syndrome and autism spectrum disorder, as well as potential clinical applications for managing these conditions.A recent study uncovers the role of FAM53C in regulating DYRK1A, offering new insights into the cellular mechanisms of Down syndrome and potential clinical implications.Down syndrome, a congenital disorder…

While using mRNA as medicine is new, mRNA has been inside you for your entire life. The cells in your body create mRNAs that serve as instructions to make specific proteins you need to function. Researchers can create new mRNAs to correct those instructions when they aren’t working. I am a molecular biologist who studies how cells control their mRNAs to make the proteins they need, a basic question of how life works at the cellular level. While most scientists studying mRNAs are not creating new drugs, this…

Artificial IntelligenceTutorial to make molecular graphs and develop a simple PyTorch-based GCNPhoto by BoliviaInteligente on UnsplashArtificial intelligence has taken the world by storm. Every week, new models, tools, and applications emerge that promise to push the boundaries of human endeavor. The availability of open-source tools that enable users to train and employ complex machine learning models in a modest number of lines of code have truly democratized AI; at the same time, while many of these off-the-shelf…

Researchers have made a significant advancement in polymer solar cell technology by developing a method to improve molecular interactions using side-chain engineering. This approach eliminates the need for toxic halogenated processing solvents, thereby enhancing the cells’ efficiency and stability. The study, which highlights the benefits of oligoethylene glycol (OEG)-based side chains, marks a crucial step towards more environmentally friendly and efficient solar cells suitable for wearable devices. Credit: SciTechDaily…

Hundreds of thousands of people worldwide are killed annually by malaria and other diseases spread through the bite of mosquitoes, insects that date back to the age of dinosaurs. All of these bites are inflicted by females, which possess specialized mouth anatomy that their male counterparts lack.But it hasn't always been that way.Researchers said they have discovered the oldest-known fossils of mosquitoes — two males entombed in pieces of amber dating to 130 million years ago, during the Cretaceous Period, and found near…

Groundbreaking research by the Institute of Modern Physics reveals molecular-type structures in the ground state of atomic nuclei, providing experimental evidence for a decades-old hypothesis and opening new paths in nuclear physics research. A pivotal study by scientists at the Institute of Modern Physics has uncovered molecular-type structures in atomic nuclei, revolutionizing our understanding of nuclear matter. Scientists from the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), along with…

MIT-Watson AI Lab’s new AI system drastically streamlines drug and material discovery by accurately predicting molecular properties with minimal data. The system leverages a “molecular grammar” learned via reinforcement learning to generate new molecules efficiently. This method has shown remarkable efficacy even with datasets of less than 100 samples.This AI system only needs a small amount of data to predict molecular properties, which could speed up drug discovery and material development.Discovering new materials and…