Fungi That Live in the Gut Influence Health and Disease – May Be As Important as Bacteria
Vaccines that balance gut microbial communities may one day be used to improve gastrointestinal health. Bacteria’s role in gut health has received a lot of…
Molecular Biology News
“Primed” for Infection: Cells Damaged by Chronic Lung Disease Can Result in Severe COVID
Results from a TGen-led international study suggest that SARS-CoV-2 takes advantage of genetic changes among patients with pre-existing lung diseases. The results of a study…
Immune System “Clock” Developed That Accurately Predicts Illness and Mortality
You’re as old as your immune system. Investigators at the Stanford University School of Medicine and the Buck Institute for Research on Aging have built…
Visualizing Metabolic Processes at the Single-Cell Level – Using Genetically Encoded Biosensor Paired With AI
Understanding cellular metabolism – how a cell uses energy – could be key to treating a wide array of diseases, including vascular diseases and cancer….
“Zombie Cells” Hold Clues to Improved Healing of Spinal Cord Injuries
Mammals have a poor ability to recover after a spinal cord injury which can result in paralysis. A main reason for this is the formation…
Diversity of Tiny Bobtail Squid Driven by Major Ancient Biogeographic Events
Bobtail and bottletail squids are tiny marine invertebrates that are found throughout the world’s oceans and are useful model animals for research There are 68…
A New Hope for Protection Against Flu Damage Inside the Lungs
New experimental data pinpoints a molecular component responsible for modulating the damage the flu can wreck on the lungs. The molecule, known as DAF, increases…
Protein “Big Bang” Reveals Molecular Makeup for Medicine and Bioengineering Applications
Proteins have been quietly taking over our lives since the COVID-19 pandemic began. We’ve been living at the whim of the virus’s so-called “spike” protein,…
RNA-Binding Proteins: Molecular Targeted Therapy for Difficult-to-Treat Breast Cancer
Studies using human cell lines and tumors grown in mice provide early evidence that inhibiting RNA-binding proteins, a previously overlooked family of molecules, might provide…
Folate Deficiency Demystified: Genetics of Why Some People May Be at a Greater Risk of Disease
As many expectant mothers know, getting enough folate is key to avoiding neural tube defects in the baby during pregnancy. But for the individuals who…
Oldest Black Death Victim Was 5,000-Year-Old Hunter-Gatherer – Had Earliest Known Strain of the Plague
The oldest strain of Yersinia pestis — the bacteria behind the plague that caused the Black Death, which may have killed as much as half…
Turning Nature’s Virus Fighters Into Powerful Drugs: Synthetic “Peptoids” to Cure Diseases
Antimicrobial peptides fight viral diseases but a structural flaw makes them difficult to use as drugs. A deft molecular fix could create synthetic “peptoids” to…
A Coronavirus Epidemic Broke Out in East Asia More Than 20,000 Years Ago
An international study has discovered a coronavirus epidemic broke out in the East Asia region more than 20,000 years ago, with traces of the outbreak…
Newly Discovered Sperm Movement Could Help Treat Male Infertility
University of Toledo research shows the centriole’s role in sperm evolved from a shock absorber to a transmission system. Scientists at The University of Toledo…
New Research Uncovers Dangers of Artificial Sweeteners – Potentially Leading to Serious Health Issues
Sweeteners could cause gut bacteria to invade the intestine. New research has discovered that common artificial sweeteners can cause previously healthy gut bacteria to become…
Structural Changes Identified in COVID Alpha and Beta Variants – Suggests Need for Updated Vaccine Booster
Changes to the ‘spike’ protein explain Alpha variant’s faster spread, and how Beta evades immune responses, suggesting the need for a booster with an updated…
Evolutionary Unique: The Natural History and Conservation Importance of Elusive Chinese Mountain Cat
Study highlights the evolutionary uniqueness and premier conservation importance of the elusive Chinese mountain cat. We know that the domestic cat has distant relatives that…
Toxicity of Protein Involved in Alzheimer’s Triggered by Chemical “Switch”
Spotlight on amino acids causing tau protein toxicity might lead to new therapies. Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have discovered that a specific chemical feature…
