All wound up: A reversible molecular whirligig
Over the last few decades, researchers have built minuscule molecular machines that rotate or shuttle other molecules. However, it's difficult to determine the mechanical work and forces that these tiny contraptions produce, which is important when u.....»»
Molecular-motor specialists deepen our understanding of the rotary ion pump of the cell
A team of specialists in nano-sized rotational motors have directly visualized the process of pumping sodium ions, enabling them to explain why there had up until now appeared to be a structural symmetry mismatch between two motors that make up part.....»»
Researchers reveal molecular mechanism behind pigment production in skin cells
The pigments that create skin, hair, and eye color are produced in organelles called melanosomes, which are located within skin cells called melanocytes and several types of eye pigment cells. Albinism, a condition characterized by an absence of pigm.....»»
Team develops biocompatible adhesive applicable to hair transplants
Medical adhesives are materials that can be applied to various uses such as wound healing, hemostasis, vascular anastomosis, and tissue engineering, and they are expected to contribute greatly to the development of minimally invasive surgery and orga.....»»
Landscape of molecular contacts: How SARS-CoV-2 communicates with human cells
What exactly are the molecular interactions between the virus causing COVID-19 and its human host? How might our genetic differences cause different disease courses? And how do still-emerging virus variants differ in their host-virus interactions? To.....»»
Researchers develop thermoformable ceramics, "a new frontier in materials"
It was one of those happy accidents of science. Northeastern professor Randall Erb and Ph.D. student Jason Bice were working on a product for a university client—and wound up with an entirely new class of material......»»
Making tumor diagnosis kinder to kidneys
Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI, in collaboration with ETH Zurich, have optimized a method for tumor diagnosis using radionuclides. Potential side-effects can now be significantly reduced through a molecular trick. The researchers repo.....»»
"Kipferl": Guiding the defense against jumping genes
A large part of our DNA is made up of selfish repetitive DNA elements, some of which can jump from one site in the genome to another, potentially damaging the genome. Researchers from the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy o.....»»
Manufacturing microscopic octopuses with a 3D printer
Although just cute little creatures at first glance, the microscopic geckos and octopuses fabricated by 3D laser printing in the molecular engineering labs at Heidelberg University could open up new opportunities in fields such as microrobotics or bi.....»»
Scientists discover dual-function messenger RNA
For the very first time, a study led by Julian Chen and his group in Arizona State University's School of Molecular Sciences and the Biodesign Institute's Center for the Mechanism of Evolution, has discovered an unprecedented pathway producing telome.....»»
Molecular chaperone interactions visualized through X-ray structure analysis
As task forces of the adaptive immune system, T lymphocytes are responsible for attacking and killing infected or cancerous cells. Such cells, like almost all cells in the human body, present on their surface fragments of all the proteins they produc.....»»
Engineering robust and scalable molecular qubits
The concept of "symmetry" is essential to fundamental physics: a crucial element in everything from subatomic particles to macroscopic crystals. Accordingly, a lack of symmetry—or asymmetry—can drastically affect the properties of a given system......»»
Seeing antibiotics in action inside a pathogenic bacterium
Every living cell relies on proteins in order to function and the process of protein synthesis—translation—is critical for survival. Bacteria are no exception, with molecular machines involved in translation being one of the most common targets f.....»»
Assessing the potential activity of salen against proteins of SARS-CoV-2
Researchers found out that salen is able to effectively bind a number of proteins of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Scientists used the method of molecular docking and discovered that salen shows activity to the non-structural protein nsp14, which preve.....»»
Physicists make molecular vibrations more detectable
In molecules, the atoms vibrate with characteristic patterns and frequencies. Vibrations are therefore an important tool for studying molecules and molecular processes such as chemical reactions. Although scanning tunneling microscopes can be used to.....»»
Examining molecular components that are responsible for generating the action potential in the Venus flytrap
To hunt flies and other small animals, the Venus flytrap has to be faster than its prey. To do so, it has developed a catching organ that can snap shut in a fraction of a second and is controlled by the fastest signaling networks known in plants. An.....»»
Molecular tags reveal how damaged lysosomes are selected and marked for clearance
Autophagy is a self-degradation process that cells use to remove unneeded or damaged components. There are several forms of autophagy, including macroautophagy, which is a bulk degradation system used to target materials in the cell's cytosol to orga.....»»
Scientists chart 45 million years of Antarctic temperature change
Molecular fossils and machine learning have enabled scientists to build the first charts of Antarctic ocean temperatures over the past 45 million years, offering important insights into future sea level changes......»»
Study reveals the molecular origin of the genetic disease cystinosis
The rare genetic disease cystinosis is caused by mutations in the gene for a protein called cystinosin. A team of scientists has now solved the structure of cystinosin and determined how mutations interfere with its normal function, providing insight.....»»
Dense and permeable: Molecular organization of tight junctions decoded
They seal epithelial cells and, under certain conditions, allow the passage of ions and water: Tight junctions form a paracellular barrier in tissues and their dysfunction is associated with diseases. Although their molecular components have been kno.....»»
Technology that simulates complex molecular interactions could lead to better treatments for cancer and COVID-19
A team led by University of Minnesota Twin Cities biomedical engineers has developed a universally accessible application that can simulate complex molecular interactions, which will allow researchers to design better treatments for diseases like can.....»»