Lipid droplets as endogenous intracellular microlenses
With the demand in real-time monitoring of endoplasmic variations and rapid detection of extracellular signals, a great number of approaches to bioimaging have been developed. The past few decades have witnessed a dramatic progress in optical imaging.....»»
Cell protection, immunomodulation and virus inhibition by an endogenous substance
The endogenous molecule itaconic acid has antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects, as researchers from TWINCORE have recently shown. In cooperation with scientists from the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research in Braunschweig and the Helmholtz Ins.....»»
Scientists discover how glucose and lipid metabolism is regulated by non-coding RNA
A group of Skoltech researchers under Dr. Olga Sergeeva's supervision studied the functions of a long non-coding RNA, which is "read" from the genome, but does not carry the information about protein structure. In experiments on animals and cell line.....»»
Mercury exposure disrupts the lipid metabolism of migratory birds
Migratory birds have been called the super-athletes of the animal kingdom because of the remarkable endurance they display during hours-long, non-stop flights that can span thousands of kilometers. Their endurance is made possible by several unique p.....»»
Label-free and biocompatible on-chip magnetic separation enables efficient extraction of exosomes
Exosomes are lipid-bilayer nanoscale membrane particles (typically.....»»
Research reveals structure of human endogenous reverse transcriptase
The crystal structure of a human endogenous reverse transcriptase has similarities to HIV reverse transcriptase, a well-known tractable drug target, which will help design drugs to treat cancer and other diseases, according to a study co-authored by.....»»
Lipid nanoparticles carry gene-editing cancer drugs past tumor defenses
As they grow, solid tumors surround themselves with a thick, hard-to-penetrate wall of molecular defenses. Getting drugs past that barricade is notoriously difficult. Now, scientists at UT Southwestern have developed nanoparticles that can break down.....»»
Scientists poke holes in liquid to keep airplanes from freezing on a rainy day
Droplets hitting aircraft plating can break the protective film of anti-icing fluid, leaving behind dry spots susceptible to hazardous freezing. In a similar way, lubricated parts in an industrial machine can lose their protection from friction if fa.....»»
New inherited retroviruses identified in the koala genome
Historic virus infections can be traced in vertebrate genomes. For millions of years, these genomes have been repositories for retroviruses that incorporated their code into germline cells and were inherited as endogenous retroviruses (ERVs). Researc.....»»
Water repellency as the first step to life on land one billion years ago
Plants use the "lotus effect" to self-clean—water droplets simply roll off and clean the surface to reduce infestation with fungal spores, for example, as Professor Wilhelm Barthlott of the University of Bonn discovered four decades ago. But it's n.....»»
Novel method for early disease detection using DNA droplets
Aqueous droplet formation by liquid-liquid phase separation (or coacervation) in macromolecules is a hot topic in life sciences research. Of these various macromolecules that form droplets, DNA is quite interesting because it is predictable and progr.....»»
Phase separation found in immune response within cells
Protein complexes that play a critical role in launching an immune response assemble in droplets that form within the liquid environment in cells much like oil droplets in water, UT Southwestern scientists report in a new study. The findings, publish.....»»
Ancient viral elements embedded in human genome are not from fossil retrovirus
Using a next generation sequencing analysis to examine human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) integration sites, researchers from Kumamoto University, the National Institute of Genetics (Japan), and the University of Michigan (U.S.) have discovered that.....»»
Molecular surveillance pathway tells cells when they run low on lipids
UT Southwestern researchers have discovered a molecular pathway that allows cells to sense when their lipid supplies become depleted, prompting a flurry of activity that prevents starvation. The findings, reported in Nature, might someday lead to new.....»»
Heart progenitors spontaneously regenerate cardiac muscle via a tight junction "honeycomb" in salamanders
Whether there are endogenous adult heart progenitors that can replenish damaged muscle cells remained controversial. Now researchers at Karolinska Institute in Sweden show that the outermost layer of the heart, called epicardium, acts as a source of.....»»
A simple method to determine phase preference of proteins on live cell membranes
National University of Singapore scientists have demonstrated a simple and fast method to determine if a biomolecule partitions into lipid domains on live cell membranes......»»
Investigating glowing glass droplets on the ISS
Researchers will soon be studying materials samples on the ISS. The materials in question are super-hard and corrosion-resistant alloys of palladium, nickel, copper and phosphorus—also known as metallic glasses. A high-tech company from La Chaux-de.....»»
Researchers develop VR headset with mouth haptics
Researchers have developed a way to feel various sensations on your mouth, such as spiders crawling across or water droplets......»»
Light amplification accelerates chemical reactions in aerosols
Aerosols in the atmosphere react to incident sunlight. This light is amplified in the interior of the aerosol droplets and particles, accelerating reactions. ETH researchers have now been able to demonstrate and quantify this effect and recommend fac.....»»
The fitness of photosynthetic organisms depends on the integrity of their endogenous clocks
Life on Earth runs in 24-hour cycles. From tiny bacteria to human beings, organisms adapt to alterations of day and night. External factors, such as changes in light and temperature, are needed to entrain the clock. Many metabolic processes are contr.....»»
A single nanoparticle does two jobs: Enhancing the effectiveness of chemotherapy and reinvigorating the immune system
Researchers from Tel Aviv University proved that a drug delivery system based on lipid nanoparticles can utilize RNA to overcome resistance to both chemotherapy and immunotherapy in cancer treatments. The study opens a new path to a personalized and.....»»