Biology Molecular biology
News
17 Jun 2026
Cells have surface receptors that couple to proteins and other molecules to initiate or inhibit certain behaviors. Researchers have found that one of these receptors helps set developing cells on the path to becoming neurons much earlier than previously thought.
17 Jun 2026
Researchers from The University of Osaka found that using a sequence analysis approach that incorporates awareness of insertions and deletions in extramembrane domains enabled accurate reconstruction of ancestral rhodopsins that folded correctly and functioned as predicted when expressed in E. coli. The researchers’ ConsistASR analytical pipeline could be used to engineer other ancestral proteins in the future.
09 Jun 2026
Rhodoliths may look like small rocks on the seafloor, but they're actually living algae that create habitats for marine life and contribute to long-term carbon storage. A new study found that the deeper ‘low-light’ waters off Japan's Tanegashima Island harbor a surprisingly distinct and diverse community of these ‘living pink rocks,’ including four species completely new to science. Researchers identified at least 12 species in a small patch of seafloor 35–38 meters deep, but only three were also found in nearby shallow waters, suggesting the deeper habitat is not simply a continuation of the one near the surface.
08 Jun 2026
Hiroshima University researchers say a newly proposed three-step “detour” pathway for making dolichol, a molecule cells need to properly process proteins, may be more universal than scientists realized. Experiments in yeast suggest eukaryotes may rely on overlapping biochemical pathways, including the evolutionarily conserved “detour” and evidence of a possible “backup route,” to produce a molecule essential to life.
12 May 2026
Researchers from The University of Osaka found that the zinc finger proteins RLF and ZFP292 play redundant roles in stabilizing the CoREST corepressor complex at gene promoters in embryonic stem cells. Deleting both proteins allowed the cells to differentiate, suggesting that they could be useful targets for maintaining stem cell quality.
14 Apr 2026
Researchers from The University of Osaka have shown that the MIC11 gene of Toxoplasma gondii is essential for the parasite to egress, or exit, the host cell, a key part of the lifecycle. Deletion of MIC11 caused parasites to be unable to permeabilize host cell membranes and prevented egress. This study identifies potential new therapeutic targets for human diseases caused by parasites, such as toxoplasmosis and malaria, which represent a major global health problem.
01 Apr 2026
A review finds that antibiotic resistance genes—capable of undermining modern medicine—can travel through the air across both cities and farmland, and argues that airborne spread represents an overlooked public health risk.
31 Mar 2026
Researchers at Hiroshima University have developed a new tool to quickly and accurately map fungal gene functions, even for species that have never been studied before.
16 Mar 2026
Clinically available KRAS inhibitors mainly target G12C, which is rare in PDAC and often acquires resistance. Oncogenic KRAS inactivates RB1 via CDK4/6, while RB1 mutation is rare. Thus, CDK4/6 inhibition offers an indirect strategy to counter KRAS-driven malignancy without direct KRAS targeting.
06 Mar 2026
Researchers at the Cancer Research Institute and the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, have uncovered a critical mechanism that enables gastric cancer to spread to distant organs. Their study shows that cancer cells stimulate Wnt signaling in surrounding stromal fibroblasts to produce hyaluronan, creating a supportive microenvironment that promotes metastasis.
These findings provide new insight into how metastatic tumors establish themselves and suggest promising strategies to prevent gastric cancer progression.
29 Jan 2026
A collaborative team from National Taiwan University and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University identified an alternative strategy to regulate an immune enzyme linked to cancer and inflammation.
27 Jan 2026
Researchers at Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI) and the Cancer Research Institute at Kanazawa University led have uncovered how targeted lung cancer drugs alter the shape and behavior of a key cancer-driving protein—revealing a hidden mechanism that helps explain why some treatments stop working over time.
08 Jan 2026
Researchers at The University of Osaka used a range of cellular techniques to show that the histone protein CENP-A can be deposited into centromeres by two independent pathways. By identifying that CENP-C can substitute for Mis18C in binding to the chaperone HJURP to prompt CENP-A deposition, they showed that there is redundancy in the process of specifying the location of the centromere on chromosomes, which is essential for mitosis and meiosis.
23 Dec 2025
Netrin-1 blocks HBV entry by inhibiting viral attachment and internalization, offering a new therapeutic avenue for chronic hepatitis B.
22 Dec 2025
A research team at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI) and the Faculty of Medicine at Kanazawa University has developed a new class of engineered extracellular vesicles (EVs) capable of inducing antigen-specific regulatory T cells (Tregs), the immune cells that play a central role in suppressing excessive immune responses. The findings, now published in Drug Delivery, may pave the way for next-generation therapies for autoimmune and allergic diseases, where unwanted immune activation must be precisely controlled.
15 Dec 2025
Mutated baker’s yeast at the forefront of alternative 2,3-butanediol production methods
09 Dec 2025
Brain atlas, From perfume to plastic, Stable solar power, Plant aging switch, Anti-cancer droplets, Greener gold, Extreme star factory and How research shapes sustainability policy. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice.
21 Nov 2025
Scientists at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, have discovered how a gene-regulating protein forms tiny liquid-like droplets inside the cell nucleus (the compartment that stores and manages DNA) to guard against cancer. Their study, published in Nature Communications, shows that these protein droplets act as control centers that keep tumor-suppressor genes switched on.
10 Nov 2025
UOsaka and MIT scientists revealed that the motor proteins KIF18A and CENP-E work together to align chromosomes during mitosis. Cancer cells with reduced CENP-E levels are especially sensitive to KIF18A inhibition, and dual inhibition of both proteins leads to efficient cell death. The discovery offers new insights into chromosome mechanics and a potential strategy for targeted cancer therapy.
03 Sep 2025
A customizable protein has been developed to help the body remove harmful cells, such as those involved in cancer or autoimmune diseases, offering a potential new direction for treatments.
01 Aug 2025
Bacteria in the digestive system may work to maintain balance directly and indirectly
15 Jul 2025
Protein aggregation inhibitor shows lower levels of cell death and paralysis in mice with acute strokes
19 Jun 2025
A research team from The University of Osaka and Institute of Science Tokyo has developed a groundbreaking class of mRNA medicines that can sense changes in the body and autonomously adjust their therapeutic effect. This innovation paves the way for precision treatments that are not only more effective, but also safer—by producing just the right amount of medicine based on real-time biological signals.
18 Jun 2025
Researchers at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University observe and model how the enzyme ADAR1 interacts with double-stranded RNA, which may be useful for future cancer treatment strategies.
30 May 2025
Mutant protein protects against mildew, but leaves turn yellow and age sooner
27 May 2025
Cosmic hide-and-seek, Controlling quantum light, Thinking face robot, Live DNA folding & Menopause-dementia link. Plus latest SciCom Coffee talk. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice.
23 May 2025
Plants require phosphorus to grow and survive. In environments with low levels of available soil phosphorus, plants need to adjust to stay alive.
12 May 2025
Scientists at Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University have captured real-time footage showing how a key hormone receptor activates genes, offering a clearer view into one of the most fundamental Kaprocesses in biology.
14 Apr 2025
Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, demonstrates a novel approach for nanoscopic profiling of small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) using high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM) videography. This pioneering method provides an unprecedented level of detail in characterizing sEV subpopulations, offering new insights into their biological roles and potential applications in disease diagnostics.
Events
26 Aug 2025 to 29 Aug 2025
ISFMS 2025 is anticipated to attract over 200 participants, including
a diverse international community of researchers, professionals, and
experts in the field of molecular sciences as well as the broader life science community
30 Jul 2021
The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (IUBMB), the Federation of Asian and Oceanian Biochemists and Molecular Biologists (FAOBMB) and the College of Biochemists of Sri Lanka (CBSL), will conduct the 1st Virtual Education Symposium themed “The ‘New Normal’ Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education”, on the 30thof July 2021.
Researchers
Dr Sarkar is a senior research fellow at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia. She is
actively engaged in collaborating with academic and industry stakeholders and leads multiple projects for the development of novel therapeutics/vaccines to tackle antimicrobial resistance.
Professor Crumlish has researched aquatic microbial diseases, specifically ones that have economic impact in global aquaculture, and potential solutions to such infectious diseases. Her current project seeks to develop vaccines against antimicrobial resistance in aquaculture.
Dr. Oehlers leads the Bacterial Pathogenesis Laboratory at A*STAR ID Labs, where he and his colleagues focus on identifying molecular bases of mycobacterial disease and, thus, deploy therapies that address antibiotic resistance in mycobacterial infections.
Dr. Yue Wang is senior principal investigator at the Antifungal Resistance Laboratory of A*STAR ID Labs, where his body of work focuses on virulence mechanisms of the fungal human pathogen Candida albicans.
Dr. Yan is an assistant professor at the Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong (CityU). His current research focuses on developing genomic tools to dissect lncRNA function and mechanism in diseases and to identify genetic variations that contribute to disease pathogenesis.
Dr. Mitchell is a professor at the Department of Biological Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST). His primary research interest is the study of bacterial strains that attack and prey on other bacteria, including antimicrobial-resistant pathogens.
Dr. Soojin Jang heads the Antibacterial Resistance Research Laboratory at Institut Pasteur Korea, where her team focuses on discovering new antibacterial agents for “superbugs” or bacteria resistant to most antibiotics.
Dr. Tengku Haziyamin Tengku Abdul Hamid's recent discovery of a novel strain has enabled a new patent to be drafted and was awarded gold medal in Malaysian Technology Expo 2021 for his new probiotic prototype called ProAquaVcare.
Nimanthi Jayathilaka is a professor at the Department of Chemistry, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka.
Professor Ahmed Al-Haddad, M.Sc., Ph.D. (Germany) is currently Professor of Microbiology and Medical Microbiology at College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hadhramout University-Yemen.
He is the Founding-Dean of the first Faculty of Nursing in Yemen. He has over fifteen years of research and teaching experience in various domains of life sciences.
Al-Haddad has published many peer reviewed articles and conference papers in the areas of molecular biology, microbiology and antibiotics in National and International journals.
He is reviewer in different national and international Scientific Journals such as Annals of Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobials, Journal of Microbiology and Antimicrobials, Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, British Biotechnology Journal.
He is a member of various national and international scientific organizations.
Viteroretinal surgeon working on developing treatments for retinal dystrophies and many other retinal diseases.
Giants in history
Maharani Chakravorty (1937 – 2015) was one of India’s earliest molecular biologists whose research paved the way for advances in the treatment of bacterial and viral infections.
Syed Qasim Mehdi (13 February 1941 – 28 September 2016) was a Pakistani molecular biologist who was a founding member of the Human Genome Diversity Project (HGDP), which assessed human diversity by studying human migration, mutation rates, relationships between different populations, genes involved in height and selective pressure.
Gopalasamudram Narayanan Ramachandran (8 October 1922 – 7 April 2001) is best known for developing the Ramachandran plot to understand the structure of short chains of amino acids, known as peptides.
Motoo Kimura (13 November 1924 – 13 November 1994) was a Japanese theoretical population geneticist who is best remembered for developing the neutral theory of molecular evolution.