Researchers at Karolinska Institutet discovered a built-in molecular brake on human cell division that ensures two complete copies of DNA before cell division, preventing DNA damage and cancer. This process restricts growth to prevent lethal diseases like cancer.
Researchers developed a computational framework to analyze large-scale single-cell gene expression levels, enabling the study of unprecedented cellular heterogeneity in rare cell populations. The BigSCale tool successfully processed 1.3 million individual cells from a mouse brain dataset.
The study combines STED and SICM microscopy to link protein actin with cell membrane nanostructure, shedding light on the role of the cell membrane in migration processes. This technique offers novel insights into the biochemical organisation of cells and their surrounding membranes.
The NSF-Simons Center for Mathematical and Statistical Analysis of Biology at Harvard University will focus on three fundamental questions: molecular networks, sophisticated structures, and organisms' adaptability. The center aims to integrate mathematical, statistical, and engineering approaches with biology.
Researchers have developed an in vitro model of urethral mucosa to visualize the HIV transmission process. The study reveals that infected T cells target epithelial cells above macrophages, leading to viral production and shedding via transcytosis. Macrophages then capture and store the virus, posing a challenge for treatment efforts.
Researchers have developed a system to profile every cell in developing zebrafish and frog embryos, revealing the comprehensive landscape of gene expression events that mark new cell states and types. This work provides a significant resource for studying developmental biology and disease.
The American Association of Anatomists has awarded its Young Investigator Awards to Bhart-Anjan Bhullar, Elçin Ünal, Maksim Plikus, and Helen Bateup for their groundbreaking contributions to cell biology, neuroanatomy, and developmental biology. These young scientists have made significant advancements in understanding the structural f...
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania identified three novel cell populations and understood how kidney disease develops at a single-cell level. They found that specific cell types convert to each other, leading to conditions like chronic kidney disease, which affects about 14 percent of Americans.
Researchers at Duke-NUS Medical School have identified key regulators of the intestinal stem cell niche, including hormones R-spondins and Wnts. The team's study shows that subepithelial myofibroblasts are essential sources of these hormones, highlighting the close interaction between epithelial stem cells and their niche.
Researchers aim to develop an optimized cell-free platform to speed up synthetic biology design-build-test-analyze cycles, enabling faster characterization of novel and improved pathways. The proposed technology leverages advances in DNA synthesis, cell-free biosynthesis capabilities, and genome engineering tools.
Researchers have created a statistical analysis software called scImpute to handle RNA sequencing dropouts and improve the accuracy of measuring gene expression in individual cells. The tool uses information from similar cells to make educated guesses about gene abundance, providing more reliable results.
Researchers have developed an imaging method for live cells that suppresses photobleaching, allowing observation of individual molecules for up to 400 seconds. This enables study of protein movements and interactions in the cell membrane, shedding light on cellular behavior and potential targets for cancer treatment.
Researchers discover an unusual cell-death process in microscopic worms, where the dying cell breaks apart and is gradually removed by other cells. The study sheds new light on how phagocytes, the body's vacuum cleaners, work.
Researchers found a key regulator, importin IMB4, that holds kinesins in check until their cargo is needed. This process is crucial for building the plant cell wall and preventing waste.
Researchers found that multiple small differences, rather than a single factor, explain the large variation in how people respond to drugs. The study used systems biology and metabolomics techniques to analyze protein and metabolite concentrations in cell culture experiments.
The discovery reveals that the enzyme RIPK1 decreases mitochondrial numbers, leading to oxidative stress and potential cell death. This finding could lead to a new strategy for eliminating ECM-detached cancer cells and improving patient survival.
A new study reveals how basal cell cancer responds to treatment and offers new ideas for controlling this disease. The researchers found that the relative location of a cell within a tumor can have a big effect on its sensitivity to drug treatment.
Researchers from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München have identified a signaling pathway that restricts cleavage furrow formation to the mid-plane of the cell. This pathway involves the enzyme Aurora A, which is activated on astral microtubules and diffuses to the cell membrane at the poles to suppress contractile ring formation.
Researchers at UNC School of Medicine discovered that the minichromosome maintenance (MCM) complex plays a crucial role in keeping stem cells in their immature state. The study suggests that rapid MCM loading rate is essential for maintaining stem cell identity.
The European Research Council has awarded a €2 million ERC Consolidator Grant to TU Darmstadt's Heinz Koeppl for his project 'CONSYN', which aims to improve the design of synthetic genetic circuits. The grant will support computational modelling and computer-aided circuit synthesis to overcome experimental challenges in synthetic biology.
The ASCB Celldance program premiered two new videos at the 2017 ASCB|EMBO Meeting in Philadelphia. The videos, created by Guillaume Duménil, Dyche Mullins, and Lillian Fritz-Laylin, visualize how pathogens invade the body and proliferate, as well as single cells crawling through complex environments.
Don Cleveland and Peter Walter are recognized for their pioneering work in cell biology, with focus on protein synthesis and chromosome movement. The Breakthrough Prize acknowledges their contributions to advancing our understanding of cellular mechanisms.
The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) has announced 67 new Fellows, recognizing their significant and sustained impact on the discipline of cell biology. The honor is bestowed by peers and acknowledges not only outstanding scientific contributions but also service to ASCB and its missions.
Researchers at Lomonosov Moscow State University discovered a new method of destroying cancer cells through a process called entosis, where one cell invades and digests another. The study reveals the five stages of entosis, which involves changes in structural and functional characteristics of both cells.
Researchers at KU Leuven unravelled how the cell division timer is switched on and off, potentially leading to effective cancer therapy. The discovery involves a biochemical clock that gives cells time to fix attachment-related problems, allowing for more efficient cell division.
Researchers discovered that the timing of DNA damage within cell cycle phases affects a cell's fate, with certain stages vulnerable to DNA damage. The study suggests that synchronizing cancer cells in susceptible phases before treatment could be an effective strategy.
A Penn study found that Notch gene mutations drive expression of Myc and other genes in B-cell cancers, offering new insights into cancer growth and potential therapeutic targets. The research may lead to more effective treatment combinations by targeting Notch-Myc signaling pathways.
A research team from SUTD developed a highly accurate single cell level sorting technology using sound waves, which enables the isolation of rare cell populations in complex biological samples. This technology has the potential to advance precision medicine for cancer treatment by examining DNA mutations at single cell level.
Researchers at IST Austria have identified a positive feedback loop between cell-cell contact formation and cell fate specification in zebrafish embryos. This loop, triggered by long-lasting contacts, leads to the specification of head mesoderm cells, while short-lasting contacts result in endoderm cells.
A Penn study suggests that DNA 3D packaging controls which genes are available for activation, influencing cell differentiation. The researchers found that tethering DNA to the nuclear periphery with an epigenetic enzyme contributes to a cell becoming a certain type.
Researchers created Expanded Potential Stem Cells (EPSCs) with greater development potential than current stem cell lines, shedding light on miscarriage and developmental disorders. The EPSCs can develop into any type of cell, offering a platform to study early embryo cells in detail.
A new user-friendly interface allows cell biologists to create complex biological models using the Virtual Cell supercomputer, expanding access to modeling capabilities. The updated version of VCell enables users to define molecules and explain interactions with minimal coding, reducing complexity and increasing usability.
Researchers found that altering stem cell volume changes its internal dynamics and influences the cell's fate, with removing water making it stiff pre-bone cells and adding water forming soft pre-fat cells. This study adds a new tool to understanding stem cell biology for regenerative medicine.
A team of researchers found that endoreduplication, a process promoting cellular enlargement, occurs randomly and contributes to cell size variation. The study's mathematical model successfully reproduced experimental dynamics, revealing exponential boosting as the mechanism behind cell size determination.
A recent Penn study found that gene expression persists during cell replication, contradicting the long-held assumption that genes become 'silent' during this process. The research, led by Katherine C. Palozola and Kenneth S. Zaret, sheds new light on how cells maintain their identity during division.
Scientists have identified a previously undetected motion in the human cell nucleus, which decreases over time during the cell cycle and marks the first physical feature to systematically change with the cell cycle. This internal clock-like mechanism could contribute to understanding nuclear envelope function in health and disease.
Researchers discovered mesenchymal cells drive lung cell formation through molecular interactions, guiding the production of alveolar and airway cells. This finding offers new avenues for treating lung disorders like asthma and emphysema.
Lorenz Studer, a renowned stem cell biologist, has been awarded the prestigious Ogawa-Yamanaka Stem Cell Prize for his groundbreaking research on cellular reprogramming and human induced pluripotent stem cells. His work has advanced the therapeutic potential of stem cell-based therapies in Parkinson's disease.
Researchers at NIH have discovered that HIV uses a protein on the cell surface to invade cells. By blocking this step, they found it prevents HIV genetic material from entering cells. The study could lead to the development of new drugs to prevent HIV infection by targeting the transfer of phosphatidylserine.
New research reveals a mechanism driving cell cannibalism in tumors, suggesting it may resist cancer growth. Weakened cell attachments trigger entosis, where one cell kills and digests another, potentially slowing or preventing tumor growth.
Researchers discovered the role of TERRA in repairing critically short telomeres, which play a key role in determining cellular senescence. The study provides new insights into the regulation of cell senescence and survival in ageing and cancer.
Scientists propose Induced Cell Turnover (ICT) to coordinate endogenous cell ablation with replacement cell administration. This method aims to manually vacate niches for new cells to engraft, minimizing the formation of scar tissue and promoting controlled turnover of aged tissues.
A team of scientists has discovered a remarkable mechanism that enables cells to repair severely damaged chromosomes, preventing cell death and cancer. The 'Hail Mary' mechanism involves the creation of a DNA tether to keep the broken fragment connected to the chromosome.
Researchers have identified a new way to potentially slow fast-growing cancer cells by targeting the Tudor-SN protein. The study, published in Science, found that eliminating this protein from cancer cells using CRISPR-Cas9 technology slowed their cell cycle and moved them more slowly towards division.
A recent study published in Nature Cell Biology identified a small RNA molecule, miR-199a, that helps maintain the activity of stem cells in both healthy and cancerous breast tissue. The microRNA promotes particularly deadly forms of breast cancer and inhibiting its effects could improve existing breast cancer therapies.
Researchers created a detailed analysis of human proteins in cultivated cell lines, mapping them to cellular compartments and substructures with single-cell resolution. The study found that about half of the proteins are found in more than one compartment, shedding new light on cellular complexity.
Researchers have observed a complex process in plant cell wall growth using nanoscale imaging. The findings suggest that microfibrils' movements under stretching regimes reveal a different pattern of motion than previously thought.
Pharmacoscopy enables fast and accurate analysis of immune cell interactions, identifying previously unknown immunomodulatory effects of approved drugs. The technique has the potential to revolutionize personalized medicine by visualizing individual patient responses to various drugs.
A team of physicists, biologists, and bioengineers from UC San Diego developed a new
The American Association of Anatomists has awarded three young investigators for groundbreaking research in cell biology, comparative neuroanatomy, and developmental biology. Maria Barna, Gloria Brar, and Shigeki Watanabe have made significant contributions to biomedical science through their research.
Researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have identified trunk neural crest cells as key players in the development of blood-forming stem cells, which can produce any type of blood cell. This discovery may lead to new avenues for investigating stem cell biology and improving access to bone marrow transplantation.
The Salk Institute has received a $3 million gift from the Glenn Foundation, enabling continued investigation into aging and age-related diseases. The center aims to advance understanding of biological aging and its effects on various diseases, with a focus on developing interventions to delay or cure age-related conditions.
Researchers defined cell-type composition of cancerous cells from 11 colorectal tumors using single-cell genomics and computational techniques. The study identified two distinct subtypes of cancer-associated fibroblasts that contribute to a worse prognosis in colorectal cancer patients.
Researchers at the University of Alberta have developed a photocleavable protein that breaks into two pieces when exposed to light, allowing scientists to study and manipulate activity inside cells in new ways. This tool has vast potential applications in various fields of research, including development biology and gene-editing techno...
The Oxford University Press will publish the Journal of Crustacean Biology, a scientific journal covering crustacean biology and marine arthropods. The journal has undergone a facelift with a new format and style, expanding article types to include Research Notes and comprehensive reviews.
Researchers at Rutgers and other universities created a new way to identify stem cells' state and fate, allowing for better manipulation of cells for therapy. The approach uses super-resolution microscopy to analyze epigenetic modifications, identifying changes that signal a cell's future type.
Researchers developed an algorithm that uses Deep Learning to predict the decision of hematopoietic stem cells to become a certain cell type. This enables earlier detection and analysis of blood cell development, paving the way for new treatments and insights into developmental traits.
Researchers used live cell time-lapse imaging to investigate maize mutant growth, finding that delays in cell division can lead to growth defects when paired with improper division plane orientation. This study provides crucial details for understanding plant growth and may have long-term implications for developing short-stature maize...
A team of researchers has identified the earliest-acting protein needed for cell division, which is critical for organizing cell division in animals. The discovery, made using roundworms, revealed a key advance in understanding centriole duplication, a process vital to cell division and cilia function.
Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine are creating an induced pluripotent stem cell-based library for sickle cell disease, offering a valuable resource for disease modeling and treatment development. The library comprises diverse patient samples, enabling the study of genetic backgrounds and potential therapies.