Biologists sequence proteins by pulling them through nanopores
A team of chemical biologists at the University of Washington, working with colleagues at Oxford Nanopore Technologies, has developed a protein sequencing process that involves pulling proteins through nanopores in a lipid membrane. Their paper is pu.....»»
Why is DNA almost always a right-handed helix? Exploring the causes of chirality
Why is the heart slightly on the left side of the body for most people? Why is DNA almost always a right-handed helix? Same with alpha helices, the building blocks of proteins. Chirality, or handedness, is everywhere in biology, but the reasons can b.....»»
Messenger RNAs with multiple "tails" could lead to more effective therapeutics, say researchers
Messenger RNA (mRNA) made its big leap into the public limelight during the pandemic, thanks to its cornerstone role in several COVID-19 vaccines. But mRNAs, which are genetic sequences that instruct the body to produce proteins, are also being devel.....»»
In a first, evolutionary biologists have identified a gene that influences visual preferences in tropical butterflies
Tropical Heliconius butterflies are well known for the bright color patterns on their wings. These striking color patterns not only scare off predators—the butterflies are poisonous and are distasteful to birds—but are also important signals duri.....»»
Decoding the plant world"s complex biochemical communication networks
A Purdue University-led research team has begun translating the complex molecular language of petunias. Their grammar and vocabulary are well hidden, however, within the countless proteins and other compounds that fill floral cells......»»
High speed protein movies to aid drug design
Researchers from the University of Southampton have developed technology to help scientists observe proteins in motion. Understanding how proteins move will allow novel drugs to be designed......»»
Research challenges "universal mechanism" concept, aiming to understand specific protein interactions
Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are the chaperones of cellular stress response because they help guide the folding and unfolding of other proteins......»»
Research suggests natural electrical grid deep inside Earth enables many types of microbes to survive
To "breathe" in an environment without oxygen, bacteria in the ground beneath our feet depend upon a single family of proteins to transfer excess electrons (produced during the "burning" of nutrients) to electric hairs called nanowires projecting fro.....»»
Biologists use machine learning to classify fossils of extinct pollen
In the quest to decipher the evolutionary relationships of extinct organisms from fossils, researchers often face challenges in discerning key features from weathered fossils, or with prioritizing characteristics of organisms for the most accurate pl.....»»
In vivo production of CAR-T cells using virus-mimetic fusogenic nanovesicles
Chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) are synthesized membrane proteins that enable lymphocytes to recognize and respond to the specific antigens of target cells. Despite the impressive efficacy of CAR-T cell therapy in treating B-cell lymphoma or leukem.....»»
Gene expression technology set to semi-automation
The Human Genome Project generated the first sequence of the human genome, revealing a kind of blueprint of human biology. Two decades later, the field of gene regulatory networks describes a complex system where thousands of genes regulate one anoth.....»»
Mining helium-3 on the Moon has been talked about forever—now a company will try
"There are so many investments that we could be making, but there are also Moonshots." Enlarge / That's no spice harvester. It's an extractor pulling helium-3 from the lunar surface. (credit: Interlune) Two of Blue Origi.....»»
Shrimp waste revolution: Unlocking potent antioxidants for health and sustainability
Shrimp are renowned for their high nutritional value, offering a rich source of proteins, amino acids, omega-3 fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins, as well as chitin and carotenoids. The increasing consumption of shrimp has led to a significant rise.....»»
Creating soundscapes increases coral larval settlement, study finds
A team of marine biologists and oceanographers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Falmouth, Massachusetts, has found that creating soundscapes for coral larvae encourages them to settle on desired coral reefs......»»
New computational strategy boosts the ability of drug designers to target proteins inside the membrane
Hitting targets embedded within the cell membrane has long been difficult for drug developers due to the membrane's challenging biochemical properties. Now, Scripps Research chemists have demonstrated new custom-designed proteins that can efficiently.....»»
Neil Young tries excusing his return to Spotify by saying Apple Music is now as bad
Two years after pulling his music from Spotify in protest over the Joe Rogan podcast, Neil Young claims Apple Music and most streamers are all as bad — so he might as well be on all of them.Neil Young with his failed PonoPlayerNeil Young has a long.....»»
A simple and robust experimental process for protein engineering
A protein engineering method using simple, cost-effective experiments and machine learning models can predict which proteins will be effective for a given purpose, according to a new study by University of Michigan researchers......»»
Scientists develop deep learning method to design bilin-binding proteins
David Baker's group at the University of Washington, Seattle, U.S., have developed a novel deep learning method, RoseTTAFold All-Atom (RFAA), for prediction and design of complexes of proteins, small molecules, and nucleic acids. Subsequently, they d.....»»
How cells manage their mRNA stockpile and its output
In a typical cell, genes encoded in DNA are used to make messenger RNA (mRNA), which is used to make proteins, and this process of gene expression keeps the cell running. Gene expression is regulated in each cell such that specific genes are turned o.....»»
Research team develops new technique to release and study individual proteins in cells
A research team led by biochemist Professor Helge Ewers from Freie Universität Berlin has developed a new technique for the light-mediated release and investigation of proteins in live cells. The technique makes use of a laser pulse to control the r.....»»
Harnessing the mechanisms of fungal bioluminescence to confer autonomous luminescence in plant and animal cells
In a striking new study published in Science Advances, a team of synthetic biologists led by Karen Sarkisyan at the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences, have reported the discovery of multiple plant enzymes—hispidin synthases—that can perform the.....»»