Uncooperative voltage sensors: Study advances conclusions about the Shaker Kv...
The May 2009 issue of the Journal of General Physiology features an article and accompanying commentary on new experimental evidence that advances previous conclusions about the essential features of...
View ArticleNavigating in the ocean of molecules
(PhysOrg.com) -- Tracking down new active agents for cancer or malaria treatment could soon become easier - thanks to a computer program with which researchers from the Max Planck Institute of...
View ArticleNew study pinpoints gene controlling number of brain cells (w/ Video)
In populating the growing brain, neural stem cells must strike a delicate balance between two key processes - proliferation, in which the cells multiply to provide plenty of starting materials - and...
View ArticleMirror images united: Simultaneous binding of both enantiomers of a drug to...
(PhysOrg.com) -- In the binding pockets of enzymes their natural binding partners fit exactly. The principle by which many pharmacological agents work also relies on the fact that these substances fit...
View ArticleTransportation governed by simple rules
(PhysOrg.com) -- All life on earth is threatened by chaos. In this sense, a cell is like a ship which could at any moment sink in a sea of chaos. It must constantly consume energy to maintain the same...
View ArticleHijacked supplies for pathogens: Legionnaire's disease bacteria tap into the...
(PhysOrg.com) -- When it infects the lungs, the Legionnaire’s bacterium Legionella pneumophila causes acute pneumonia. The pathogen’s modus operandi is particularly ingenious: it infiltrates...
View ArticleResearchers connect APC protein to autism and mental retardation
A clue to the causes of autism and mental retardation lies in the synapse, the tiny intercellular junction that rapidly transfers information from one neuron to the next. According to neuroscientists...
View ArticleScientists reveal complete structure of HIV's outer shell
A team of scientists at The Scripps Research Institute and the University of Virginia has determined the structure of the protein package that delivers the genetic material of the human...
View ArticleScientific solutions to sin?
(PhysOrg.com) -- Most people are familiar with the seven deadly sins - pride, envy, gluttony, lust, wrath, greed and sloth - but could there be molecular solutions for this daily struggle between good...
View ArticleTermites' digestive system could act as biofuel refinery
One of the peskiest household pests, while disastrous to homes, could prove to be a boon for cars, according to a Purdue University study.
View ArticleGenetic code used to engineer a living protein
Yale University researchers have successfully re-engineered the protein-making machinery in bacteria, a technical tour de force that promises to revolutionize the study and treatment of a variety of...
View ArticleRecord reaction cascade yields cancer drug candidate
(PhysOrg.com) -- New active substances can be produced quickly and efficiently with the help of reaction cascades. Once set in motion, these processes lead to the desired end product via a series of...
View ArticleBiology-oriented synthesis (BIOS) - cancer drugs based on natural models
The search for new drug candidates for cancer treatment is laborious and time-consuming. Only a fraction of the promising chemical compounds identified completes the transition to the market. Herbert...
View ArticleNew details about gene regulation explained
(Phys.org) -- When genetic information is read from the genetic blueprint DNA, RNA polymerase II translates it into RNA molecules. The C-terminal domain, abbreviated as CTD, is an important area of the...
View ArticleLocating muscle proteins: Scientists bring the basis of muscle movement into...
Muscle contraction and many other movement processes are controlled by the interplay between myosin and actin filaments. Two further proteins, tropomyosin and troponin, regulate how myosin binds to...
View ArticleFast-acting enzymes with two fingers: Protein structurally and dynamically...
Researchers at the RUB and from the MPI Dortmund have uncovered the mechanism that switches off the cell transport regulating proteins. They were able to resolve in detail how the central switch...
View ArticleBacteria with vuvuzelas: Microbes use a channel protein as a syringe for toxins
The bacterium Photorhabdus luminescens is a constant companion of some roundworms. These worms assault insect larvae, thereby infecting them with the bacteria; the pathogens then attack the cells of...
View ArticleFor the first time, researchers isolate adult stem cells from human...
For the first time, researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have isolated adult stem cells from human intestinal tissue.
View ArticleStudy visualizes mRNA transport in test tube
(Phys.org) —Much of biomedical science – both mystifying and awe-inspiring to the lay public – depends on an unwavering focus on things that can't be easily seen, like the inner-workings of cells, in...
View ArticleProteins hoist the anchor
Researchers from the Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) and from the MPI Dortmund have for the first time successfully reproduced the recycling process of proteins regulating cellular transport in a...
View ArticleSociable receptors: In pairs, in groups or in a crowd
When cells migrate in the body, for instance, during development, or when neurons establish new connections, cells need to know where they are going. A 'wrong turn' will generally cause disease or...
View ArticleStudies shed light on how to reduce the amount of toxins in plant-derived foods
A number of environmental toxins pose considerable health threats to humans, and the heavy metal cadmium (Cd) ranks high on the list. Most of us are exposed to it through plant-derived foods such as...
View ArticleGene suppression can reduce cold-induced sweetening in potatoes
(Phys.org)—Preventing activity of a key enzyme in potatoes could help boost potato quality by putting an end to cold-induced sweetening, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists.
View ArticleX-ray science taps bug biology to design better materials and reduce pollution
Bug spray, citronella candles, mosquito netting – most people will do anything they can to stay away from insects during the warmer months. But those creepy crawlers we try so hard to avoid may offer...
View ArticleSiberian hamsters show what helps make seasonal clocks tick
Many animals, including humans, have internal clocks and calendars to help them regulate behavior, physiological functions and biological processes. Although scientists have extensively studied the...
View Article
