Biology Molecular biology

A newly developed compound that reduces harmful inflammation in rats caused by overactive neutrophils shows great potential as a safer treatment for various inflammatory diseases in humans.

Researchers at Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, IMDEA Nanoscience (Madrid, Spain) and CNB-CSIC (Madrid, Spain) report in ACS Nano experiments that reveal a cycle of conformational stages that recombinant Influenza A genomes pass through during RNA synthesis.

The European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) announced its 2024 Members and Associate Members on July 9, 2024. James Liao, President of Academia Sinica in Taiwan, was elected as an "Associate Member." Liao was one of the 20 scientists outside Europe to receive this prestigious recognition this year.

A method to screen a wide variety of drug candidates without laborious purification steps could advance the fight against drug-resistant bacteria.

The selective bond-breaking powers of enzymes bring new versatility for building nanoparticles with a wide range of technical and medical potential.

Blue energy future, Off switch for brain cells, New Japanese lily species, Generative AI in motion, Economies take off with new airports and Braille-shaped electrodes for retinal implants. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice. Plus SciCom Coffee with Catriona Child.

Genome editing is making inroads into biomedical research and medicine. By employing biomolecule modeling tools, a Japanese research team is accelerating the pace and cutting the cost of zinc finger nuclease (ZFN) technology, a primary gene editing tool.

Researchers from Osaka University have used a novel combination of short-read and long-read RNA sequencing to identify the different isoforms of genes expressed in the crustacean Daphnia magna. Males and females are genetically identical, but using this technique the team revealed genes that switch the predominant isoform in a sex-dependent manner. This study contributes to our understanding of Daphnia’s sexual dimorphism and helps further advance technologies in crustacean aquaculture.

Researchers at Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University report in Nano Letters how the use of high-speed atomic force microscopy helps to understand the crucial role played by certain biomolecules in DNA wrapping dynamics.

Classification of these plants bloom to double the number of taxonomic groups through morphological study, DNA analysis

Genetic analysis finds evidence suggesting that acoustic fat bodies in the heads of toothed whales were once the muscles and bone marrow of the jaw.

May prove to be therapeutic target in breast cancer treatment

Researchers at Kanazawa University report in Journal of Cell Science on a novel role of the small Ca2+-binding protein S100A11 in focal adhesion disassembly.

A new technology to increase visibility of cancer cells to the immune system using CRISPR has been developed, and could lead to a new way to treat cancer.

A water-soluble, luminescent europium complex enables evaluation of malignancy grade in model glioma tumor cells.

Researchers at Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University report in Nature Communications a high-speed atomic force microscopy study of the structural dynamics of sodium ion channels in cell membranes. The findings provide insights into the mechanism behind the generation of cell-membrane action potentials.

A previously mysterious small RNA molecule in mice is found to play a crucial role in gene expression, and may be the first identified member of a new class of regulatory RNAs.

An international team of researchers led by Osaka Metropolitan University has elucidated the process by which the major flavonoids naringenin, apigenin, and genistein are metabolized in the body. These findings are fundamental in elucidating the correlation between the metabolism of flavonoids in the body and their potential health benefits.

Cancer stem cells cause the aging of macrophages in mice with healthy immune systems, creating conditions for the formation of tumors.

New shrimp species in ancient hot spring, Super sprouts, How "warm-ups" work, New antiviral candidate, Solving voltage decay and from our blog: A sustainable future shines in TIE 2023. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice.

A research team from Osaka Metropolitan University has found that polysulfides are abundant in broccoli sprouts. They found that the amount of polysulfides increased dramatically during growth, by an approximately 20-fold in seeds by the fifth day of germination. Furthermore, a comprehensive analysis of the polysulfides detected a number of polysulfide candidates whose structures have not yet been determined. The identification of these unknown polysulfides and detailed analysis of their pharmacological activities are expected to enable the development of new preventive and therapeutic strategies and medicines for cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, stroke, inflammation, and other diseases.

Hunting for supermassive black holes, Coastal survival at risk, Calcium and dead cell clean-up, Two naps are better than one & Pineapple leaf prosthetics. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice.

The authors discovered a shorter isoform of Rubicon called RUBCN100, which enhances autophagy in B cells.

The authors identified a structure in the circadian mRNA Period2 that affects the sleep-wake cycle. The results indicate how translation and post-transcriptional processes influence the body’s internal clock and its impact on sleep patterns.

Scientists have found that extracellular calcium mediates the activation of a membrane protein that waves the flag signalling cell death

Anti-estrogenic therapies can suppress the growth of cancer that does not express estrogen receptors; when combined with immune checkpoint inhibitor therapies, they halt tumor progression in mice models.

Scientists have isolated potent neutralising antibodies from a COVID-19 vaccinated SARS survivor that exhibited remarkable breadth against known sarbecoviruses. The antibodies targeted a conserved region of the spike protein and blocked receptor binding and viral fusion. These findings could guide the development of broadly active therapeutics against current and future coronaviruses.

A research team has discovered an astounding array of unexplored protein folds. This research will expand our understanding of the depth of the protein universe and the possibilities for de novo design of functional proteins.

The entire biosynthetic pathway of actinopyridazone has been unveiled, revealing that an unprecedented carrier protein-mediated ring-forming step is key to its synthesis.

What scientists learned about the rare antibodies targeting SARS-CoV-2’s Achilles’ heel could help fine-tune our COVID-19 vaccine strategy for longer-lasting immunity.