First Artificial Enzyme Created by in Vitro Directed Evolution
Using a noncatalytic protein scaffold, a team of researchers at the University of Minnesota have generated the first artificial enzyme created by in vitro directed…
Molecular Biology News
Key Differences in Seemingly Synonymous Parts of the Genetic Code
A new study from researchers at Harvard University shows that rates of protein synthesis are affected by environmental perturbations, resulting in certain sequences that manufacture…
Epigenetics Are Important To Evolutionary Success
Genetic diversity and long periods of time are things that are crucial for evolutionary adaptation. This made scientists wonder why invasive species, lacking genetic diversity,…
Enzyme’s Essential Role in Long-Term Memory Refuted
The enzyme protein kinase M-ζ (PKM-ζ) was thought to be a fixture of long-term memory, as its inhibition could erase old memories, whilst adding it…
Lab-Made Gel Mimics Molecular Motors Inside Living Cells
Researchers have developed a lab-made material that can move itself using the building blocks found inside cells. The scientists published their findings in the journal…
Sequencing DNA From Individual Cells Yields Dramatic New Information
Nicolas Navin wanted to work out the sequence from individual cancer cells to see how they had mutated and diverged as the cancer grew. Back…
Priapulid Worms Highlight Need to Rename A Group of Animals
A new study on the development of priapulids, known colloquially as penis worms, throws doubt on a feature that has been thought to define one…
Atomic Level Splicing Further Establishes RNA’s Chemical and Structural Complexity
A newly published paper from researchers at Yale University looks at the process of splicing RNA at the atomic level, establishing RNA’s chemical and structural…
SSRL Validates Anti-Flu Protein Design
A team of scientists designed proteins from scratch to have a high affinity and high specificity for targets on flu viruses, validating the two best…
“Arsenic-Life” Bacterium Prefers Phosphate Over Arsenate
Researchers that claimed that the GFAJ-1 bacterium had a preference for arsenic instead of phosphorous in its DNA have been somewhat refuted. A new study…
Proteins from Black Mamba Venom Could Yield New Painkillers
The venom of the black mamba snake can kill humans within 20 minutes, but among those deadly compounds are two snake proteins, called mambalgins, that…
New Genetic Modifications Result in Cows With Allergen-Free Milk
New genetic modification techniques have allowed geneticists to engineer cows that secrete allergen-free milk and pigs that can serve as models for atherosclerosis. The cows…
New Design Makes Previously Inaccessible Proteins Vulnerable to Drugs
A team of researchers at Yale University has identified a molecular signal that allows potentially therapeutic proteins to hitch a ride into cells using vesicles,…
Molecular and Statistical Tools Analyze Complex Differences Between Genomes
To better understand the human genome and its variability from person to person, scientists at Harvard Medical School developed a set of molecular and statistical…
Role of the SMN Gene in Spinal Muscular Atrophy
A new study from scientists at the University of North Carolina suggests that previous assumptions regarding the SMN gene, which is linked with spinal muscular…
Biochemical Systems That Modulate the Levels of Plant Hormones
An international team of scientists has begun to put a molecular face on the biochemical systems that modulate the levels of plant hormones to defend…
A Step Towards Understanding the Cellular Basis for Age-Related Vulnerability to Breast Cancer
A new study from the Berkeley Lab takes a step forward in the fight against breast cancer, gaining a better understanding of the cellular basis…
Viruses Attack Mitochondria to Travel and Spread Within the Nervous System
Observed for the first time in neurons, biologists from Princeton University documented common strains of the herpes virus indirectly taking control of a cell’s mitochondria….
