Suffering from psoriasis? Blame this trio of proteins
About 7.5 million Americans suffer from psoriasis, an autoimmune disease that shows up as patches of red, inflamed skin and painful, scaly rashes. Although there are effective treatments for psoriasis, not everyone responds to these therapies -- and.....»»
Symmetry model sheds light on the chemistry surrounding peptide helices
Helices are structures found naturally in many important molecules, such as proteins. These helices possess a twist that depends on the arrangement of their basic components. By understanding how a helix is formed, we can gain deeper insights into ho.....»»
Technique to study how proteins bind to DNA is easily misused: Researchers offer a solution
Researchers at University of California San Diego have published new guidelines that could help scientists significantly improve their results when quantifying the interactions between DNA and proteins. Understanding these interactions is critical to.....»»
Pollution of the potent warming gas methane soars and people are mostly to blame
The amount and proportion of the powerful heat-trapping gas methane that humans spew into the atmosphere is rising, helping to turbocharge climate change, a new study finds......»»
With AI, extreme microbe reveals how life"s building blocks adapt to high pressure
An assist from a Google Artificial Intelligence tool has helped scientists discover how the proteins of a heat-loving microbe respond to the crushing conditions of the planet's deepest ocean trenches, offering new insights into how these building blo.....»»
Glitch in protein synthesis could affect tumor growth
During protein synthesis, or translation, genetic information transcribed in the cell's mRNA directs the stringing together of amino acids—the building blocks of proteins. As the translation machinery carouses along the string of nucleotides that m.....»»
Q&A: How single-cell and spatial proteomics reveal proteins" nuanced roles in health and disease
When Steve Carr, senior director of the Proteomics Platform at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, began working in proteomics, the field was able to detect only the most abundant proteins in a given sample. In recent years, increasingly sensitiv.....»»
AI meets biophysics: New approach identifies critical interaction points in cancer-related proteins
Researchers at Auburn University, in collaboration with scientists from the University of Basel and ETH Zurich, have made an advance in the fight against cancer. The team, led by Dr. Rafael Bernardi, Associate Professor of Biophysics in the Departmen.....»»
Algorithm maps protein degradation patterns to improve infection diagnosis and treatment
Peptides are small fragments of proteins, mainly found in the skin and mucous membranes. Some peptides act as a barrier, protecting the body against infections by fighting off microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens, while others p.....»»
RNA editing plays critical role in fruit flies" sense of smell and social interactions
Imagine your DNA as a set of instructions or a recipe book that tells your body how to make everything it needs to function, from proteins to cells. Every time the body needs to build something, it reads these instructions. But sometimes, the body ca.....»»
Meta lobbied for child safety bill to blame Apple, but Apple’s own lobbying got it off the hook
Apple has its share of frenemies, and Meta is certainly one of them. Though the two companies have a mutually beneficial relationship, they have often found themselves in deep points of conflict. The latest drama? Per The Wall Street Journal, Meta lo.....»»
Researchers say 40% of UK seabird species are in trouble—bird flu, climate change, overfishing to blame
A visit to a seabird colony in summer is an assault on the senses. First there's the noise, then the overwhelming ammonia smell that stains the memory, and then the swirl of color and activity on the white-washed cliffs......»»
Cells use alternative splicing to regulate gene expression, research suggests
Alternative splicing is a genetic process where different segments of genes are removed, and the remaining pieces are joined together during transcription to messenger RNA (mRNA). This mechanism increases the diversity of proteins that can be generat.....»»
Air conditioning poses a climate conundrum
This week, much of the US is suffering from yet another heat wave. So far this year, 15 countries have set records for high heat. Last July, the average global temperature, factoring in heat waves in multiple regions around the world, was likely the.....»»
Protein mutant stability can be inferred from AI-predicted structures
Researchers at the Center for Algorithmic and Robotized Synthesis within the Institute for Basic Science have taken a significant step forward in understanding the stability of proteins by leveraging the power of AI......»»
Study finds flexibility and helical twists of actin filaments regulate actin-binding proteins
Researchers at Kanazawa University have published an article in eLife deciphering the actin structure-dependent preferential cooperative binding of cofilin......»»
Simulation model shows ribosome tunnel"s impact on protein structures
Researchers at University of Tsukuba have developed a new model that simulates the internal environment of a ribosome—the cellular site of protein synthesis. Using computer simulations, they have analyzed the structures of various proteins within t.....»»
Authors propose multi-method framework for climate event attribution
At the two most recent meetings of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, delegates agreed to establish a fund to help developing nations suffering loss and damage due to events linked to climate change, such as floods, heat waves.....»»
Dual protein analysis approach provides potential way to slow cancer growth
Fighting cancer effectively often involves stopping cancer cells from multiplying, which requires understanding proteins that the cells rely on to survive. Protein profiling plays a critical role in this process by helping researchers identify protei.....»»
3D shapes of viral proteins point to previously unknown roles
Viruses are tricky to keep up with. They evolve quickly and regularly develop new proteins that help them infect their hosts. These rapid shifts mean that researchers are still trying to understand a multitude of viral proteins and precisely how they.....»»
Tomato ripening study highlights cell wall component interactions
Tomato fruit ripening involves intricate biochemical and structural changes, particularly within the cell wall, which are vital for the fruit's final texture and quality. These changes include modifications in polysaccharides and proteins, but the sp.....»»