Elastic interactions of membrane proteins
Cellular survival relies crucially on the ability to receive and communicate signals from and to the outside world. A major part of this regulation and communication is performed by proteins within the membrane of a cell. view more (2007-05-04)
Novel virus entry mechanism could lead to new drugs against poxviruses
Research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on 11 April describes how the Imperial College London team discovered the mechanism allowing Vaccinia virus to shed its outer lipid membrane and enter cells. The mechanism is unique in virology and paves the way for development of new antiviral drugs. view more (2006-04-12)
Semiconductor membrane mimics biological behavior of ion channels
A semiconductor membrane designed by researchers at the University of Illinois could offer more flexibility and better electrical performance than biological membranes. view more (2007-07-13)
Study shows how disruption of spectrin-actin network causes lens cells in the eye to lose shape
A network of proteins underlying the plasma membrane keeps epithelial cells in shape and maintains their orderly hexagonal packing in the mouse lens, say Nowak et al. view more (2009-09-14)
Plastic-Protein Hybrids
Functional membrane proteins in a block copolymer matrix Biological membranes form a fluid matrix, in which proteins "swim". Many of these membrane proteins are of interest for both pharmacological and biotechnological applications - for example, they are under consideration as biosensors for the rapid screening of pharmaceutical agents.... view more... (2000-12-11)
One membrane, many frequencies
Modern hearing aids, though quite sophisticated, still do not faithfully reproduce sound as hearing people perceive it. New findings at the Weizmann Institute of Science shed light on a crucial mechanism for discerning different sound frequencies and thus may have implications for the design of better hearing aids. view more (2007-03-28)
Scientists at VTT and the University of Florida take immunotechnology to a new level
Scientists at VTT and the University of Florida take immunotechnology to a new level Mimicking the cell walls transport system by biocoated nanotubes opens novel possibilities for numerous applications Living cells transport selectively molecules in and out through their cell walls. This process is remarkably accurate and efficient. In... view more... (2002-07-04)
£11.5m for new structural proteomics research programmes
BBSRC has announced two new research programmes that together will receive £11.5m under the Structural Proteomics of Rational Targets Initiative (SPoRT). The Membrane Protein Structure Initiative (MPSI), a consortium of experienced membrane research groups at universities and institutes across the UK and led by the University of Glasgow,... view more... (2004-06-17)
Crystal structure enables tailoring of pharmaceuticals against asthma
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have managed to elucidate the crystal structure of a human membrane protein - LTC4 synthase - which has a major influence on the development of asthma. view more (2007-07-17)
Budding viral hijackers may co-opt cell machinery for the getaway
When retroviruses, like HIV, infect cells, they take over the cell's machinery to manufacture new copies of themselves. Research published this week in the top-tier open access journal, Journal of Biology, shows that to escape from cells, retroviruses may once again hijack cellular components, in this case molecules normally used to engulf... view more... (2003-12-02)
Groundbreaking Discovery May Lead to Stronger Antibiotics
The last decade has seen a dramatic decline in the effectiveness of antibiotics, resulting in a mounting public health crisis across the world. A new breakthrough by University of Virginia researchers provides physicians and patients a potential new approach toward the creation of less resistant and more effective antibiotics. view more (2008-10-02)
Membrane complexes take flight
Against currently held dogma, scientists at the Universities of Cambridge and Bristol have revealed that the interactions within membrane complexes can be maintained intact in the vacuum of a mass spectrometer. Their research is published in this week's edition of Science Express. view more (2008-06-13)
ESRF lightsource helps tailoring new treatments against asthma
Researchers from Sweden and France have deciphered the crystal structure of a human membrane protein which has a major influence on the development of asthma. view more (2007-08-03)
Synchrotron radiation illuminates how babies' protective bubble bursts
Researchers at the University of Reading, School of Pharmacy have developed an important new technique to study one of the most common causes of premature birth and prenatal mortality. view more (2007-11-07)
Saltwater solution to save crops
Technology under development at the University of New South Wales could offer new hope to farmers in drought-affected and marginal areas by enabling crops to grow using salty groundwater. view more (2008-09-12)
HIV-1's 'hijacking mechanism' pinpointed by McGill/JGH researchers
Researchers at McGill University and the affiliated Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research at Montreal's Jewish General Hospital - along with colleagues at the University of Manitoba and the University of British Columbia - may have found a chink in the armour of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), the microorganism which causes... view more... (2009-06-11)
Heart attack in a laboratory dish
NWO researchers at Utrecht University have given heart muscle cells a heart attack in the laboratory. This allowed them to observe clearly the change that takes place in the cell membrane during an attack and how the change sometimes leads to the death of the cell. In a healthy cell, one of the components of the membrane, the phospholipids, are... view more... (2001-05-08)
NJIT professor discovers better way to desalinate water
Chemical engineer Kamalesh Sirkar, PhD, a distinguished professor at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and an expert in membrane separation technology, is leading a team of researchers to develop a breakthrough method to desalinate water. view more (2006-02-10)
Gatekeeping: Penn researchers find new way to open ion channels in cell membranes
Using an enzyme found in the venom of the brown recluse spider, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have discovered a new way to open molecular pores, called ion channels, in the membrane of cells. view more (2006-07-18)
How mitochondria get their membranes bent
Mitochondria are the powerhouses of cells. Underneath their smooth surface they harbor an elaborately folded inner membrane. It holds a multitude of bottleneck like invaginations, which expand into elongated cavities (cristae). view more (2009-06-25)
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