Telo-seq: A high-resolution method for studying telomere dynamics in aging and disease

Within each of our cells, long strands of DNA are folded into chromosomes and capped with protective structures called telomeres. Telomeres shorten as we age, eventually becoming so diminished that our chromosomes are exposed, leading to cell death. The specifics of this shortening process, and whether certain chromosomes are more affected than others, have remained … Read more

Researchers identify molecular roadblocks in cellulose breakdown for biofuel production

Cellulose, which helps give plant cell walls their rigid structure, holds promise as a renewable raw material for biofuels—if researchers can accelerate the production process. Compared to the breakdown of other biofuel materials like corn, breaking down cellulose is slow and inefficient but could avoid concerns around using a food source while taking advantage of … Read more

Molecular Biology: Understanding Biological Processes at the Molecular Level

Molecular biology is a branch of biology that explores the structure, function, and interactions of biomolecules, such as DNA, RNA, proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates, at the molecular level. It encompasses a wide range of techniques, methodologies, and disciplines aimed at understanding biological processes, genetic information flow, gene expression, cellular functions, and molecular mechanisms underlying life. … Read more

Plant Physiology: Adaptations and Growth Mechanisms

Plant physiology is the branch of biology that focuses on the study of how plants function, grow, develop, and respond to their environment. It encompasses a wide range of topics, including plant anatomy, biochemistry, metabolism, genetics, reproduction, and interactions with biotic and abiotic factors. Understanding plant physiology is essential for agriculture, forestry, ecology, environmental science, … Read more

Biochemistry: Chemical Processes in Living Organisms

Biochemistry is the branch of science that explores the chemical processes and molecules within living organisms. It delves into the structure, function, and interactions of biomolecules such as proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, lipids, and metabolites, elucidating fundamental principles of life, cellular functions, biochemical pathways, and molecular mechanisms underlying biological processes. Proteins Proteins are essential biomolecules … Read more

Researchers create synthetic droplets mimicking chemotaxis in early life

Our bodies are made up of trillions of different cells, each fulfilling their own unique function to keep us alive. How do cells move around inside these extremely complicated systems? How do they know where to go? And how did they get so complicated to begin with? Simple yet profound questions like these are at … Read more

Neuropeptide galanin found crucial for neural circuit formation

Neuropeptides, which are broadly considered to modulate synaptic communication, can have unique and life-long effects on brain development, particularly the wiring of neuronal circuits. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet and MedUni Vienna now show that the presence of the neuropeptide galanin during a critical window of brain development is imperative for neurons to connect efficaciously to … Read more

Global study reveals extensive preservation of ancient human brains

Soft tissue preservation in the geological record is relatively rare, and except where deliberate intervention halts the process of decay (like embalming or freezing), the survival of entire organs is particularly unusual. The spontaneous preservation of the brain in the absence of any other soft tissues—that is, the brain’s survival among otherwise skeletonized remains—has historically … Read more

Cryo-EM structures elucidate primer synthesis mechanism in human DNA polymerase α-primase

Brandt Eichman and Walter Chazin, professors of biochemistry, have worked together to provide a better understanding of how exactly DNA replication is initiated in eukaryotes. Using Vanderbilt’s state-of-the-art instrumentation in the Center for Structural Biology’s Cryo-Electron Microscopy Facility, Eichman, Chazin, and their colleagues provided detailed visualizations of a multi-functional protein in action, which sheds light … Read more

New adhesion GPCR “mayo” influences gut and heart function in fruit flies, may be relevant in humans

Adhesion GPCRs are a group of G protein-coupled receptors associated with many bodily functions and diseases in humans. Scientists at Leipzig University have discovered a new receptor—which they have named “mayo”—and found that it influences the development of the small intestine and heart function in fruit flies, and that these phenomena may also be relevant … Read more

Scientists design drug to outsmart evolving coronavirus

Although COVID-19 has faded from the headlines, SARS-CoV-2—the coronavirus behind the pandemic—is still rampantly infecting people around the world. Public health officials fear as the virus continues to evolve, it will eventually hit upon a diabolical mutation that renders current treatments ineffective, triggering a new wave of severe infection and social disruption. In pursuit of … Read more

New method enables controlled release and observation of single molecules 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 release of tagged protein molecules within a cell, allowing for the molecules’ function to be … Read more

Researchers unveil ‘missing piece’ of the genetic code

Researchers at the University of Alberta have uncovered what they say has been the missing puzzle piece ever since the genetic code was first cracked. The code is the universal set of rules that allow living organisms to follow genetic instructions found in DNA and RNA to build proteins. In new research, published in BMC … Read more

Researchers unravel the mechanism of a key enzyme in sterol biosynthesis

Although you may never have heard of the cytochrome P450 superfamily of enzymes, these proteins play diverse and critical roles in humans through the metabolic processing of drugs, pesticides, fatty acids, fat-soluble vitamins, and chemical carcinogens and the biosynthesis of essential steroids, including sterols. Sterols are a family of chemical compounds that share a central, … Read more

New insights into protein misfolding could lead to better treatments for glaucoma and beyond

From Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s to cardiac arrhythmia, amyloids are linked to a number of diseases. These aggregates of proteins form in the body when a protein loses its normal structure and misfolds or mutates. And since many of these proteins are large and complicated, just how some of these mutations occur and aggregate remains a … Read more

Novel plant protein fold identified for cyclic peptide formation in U-M study

University of Michigan researchers are celebrating their discovery of a new plant biochemistry and its unusual ability to form cyclic peptides—molecules that hold promise in pharmaceuticals as they can bind to challenging drug targets. Cyclic peptides are an emerging and promising area of drug research. The new study, led by U-M College of Pharmacy researchers … Read more

New protein target identified for aggressive pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is the No. 3 cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, and only 12% of patients survive five years after being diagnosed. Severe pancreatic cancer is associated with metastasis, and it is this spread of secondary tumors that usually causes death, but little is known about the molecular mechanisms that drive metastasis. … Read more

MiV unveils open-source In vitro platform for unprecedented neural interfacing

The intricate dance of neurons orchestrates vital bodily functions and complex thoughts within a vast network. Traditional neuroscience, relying on in vivo electrophysiology within living organisms, grapples with the brain’s overarching complexity. An alternative method involves extracting cells and studying them in vitro, on a culture dish, offering researchers better control and precision in probing … Read more

What is electrophoresis?

Electrophoresis is a widely utilized laboratory technique in molecular biology that involves the separation of charged particles, such as DNA, RNA, or proteins, in an electric field within a gel matrix. The name “electrophoresis” is derived from the Greek words “electron” (meaning electricity) and “phoresis” (meaning to carry or to move). This method leverages the … Read more

What is biochemistry?

Biochemistry is a branch of science that explores the chemical processes and substances that occur within living organisms. Combining principles from biology and chemistry, biochemistry seeks to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the structure, function, and regulation of biological molecules. From the intricate dance of enzymes and metabolic pathways to the decoding of genetic information … Read more