Scientists at Rockefeller University have developed a detailed analysis of RNA polymerase, crucial to all cells, which is targeted by the antibiotic rifampicin. The study identifies potential strategies for new drugs that can effectively combat resistant TB strains.
A Virginia Tech research team has received a $431,126 NIH grant to improve the malaria compound MMV008138. The team aims to create more potent versions of the drug targeting the parasite's ability to produce isopentenyl pyrophosphate.
Researchers at Caltech have discovered the molecular basis for protection of a ribosomal protein from cellular degradation, using X-ray crystallography to solve the structure of the bound pair. This finding has potential applications in developing new cancer drugs by preventing tumor growth.
Researchers used neutron crystallography to visualize the positions and movements of hydrogen atoms in a key enzyme from Helicobacter pylori, which causes stomach cancer. The study provides insights into the enzyme's structure and potential targets for new medications that selectively target H. pylori without harming useful bacteria.
Researchers discovered a viral protein that transforms its structure when interacting with DNA, acting like a sensor to measure out appropriate lengths. This finding reveals a potential drug target for human herpesviruses and offers a new therapeutic strategy.
A University of Queensland-led study has highlighted the minute details of how plant immune systems lead to resistance against diseases. Researchers have made significant progress in understanding the interactions between immune receptors and their signals, which are crucial for plant resistance.
Researchers at Rice University have created single-molecule compounds that quench damaging reactive oxygen species, offering a new basis for antioxidant therapies. The molecules, called PEG-PDI, are true mimics of superoxide dismutase enzymes and show promise for treating cancer, traumatic brain injuries, and chronic diseases.
For the first time, researchers at UNC School of Medicine have discovered precisely what LSD looks like in its active state when attached to a human serotonin receptor. This breakthrough reveals that the psychoactive effects of LSD last for so long because part of the receptor folds over the drug molecule, locking it in place.
Researchers discovered LSD binds at an angle, trapping it in the receptor, and part of the protein folds over, sealing it inside. This explains why LSD trips last for a full day despite small doses.
A study led by Wei Guo has identified Sec3 as a key activator that speeds up the binding of SNAREs, allowing vesicles to fuse with the plasma membrane. The researchers used a combination of molecular biology and crystallography to understand the mechanism of exocytosis and have potential implications for endocrinology, neurotransmissio...
Carnegie Mellon scientists develop synthetic gold nanoparticles with hierarchical structures similar to proteins, revealing mechanisms of self-assembly and potential applications in drug delivery and electronics. The study achieves the complexity of protein molecules through atomic-level understanding.
Researchers at Newcastle University have discovered a 'pedal bin machine' of gut bacteria that acquires nutrients in the human large bowel. The study provides fundamental insights into the functioning of the microbiota and its role in human health and nutrition.
A UK-based international team of researchers has made a breakthrough in understanding the mechanism of mcr-1 gene-mediated resistance to colistin. They identified key features necessary for the protein that modifies bacterial surface to reduce colistin binding, and constructed computer models to block MCR-1 function.
Researchers at Southern Methodist University have discovered a new catalyst that can efficiently break the tough molecular bond between carbon and hydrogen. This breakthrough could lead to a cleaner, easier, and cheaper way to derive products from petroleum, with copper-based catalysts showing great promise in oxidizing C-H bonds.
The study reveals how Piperlongumine converts to an active drug that targets and silences the GSTP1 gene, which is often overactive in tumors. This breakthrough provides new hope for developing cancer therapies using natural compounds.
Researchers at Scripps Florida Institute developed a novel approach for identifying how chemicals in the environment can produce infertility and promote breast cancer. The new method uses high-resolution imaging techniques to visualize the effects of estrogenic chemicals on cells.
Researchers have successfully filmed protein folding in three dimensions for the first time, enabling them to observe minute changes in protein structures during transformation. The technique, developed using Japan's XFEL facility, has significant implications for drug development and studying membrane transport proteins.
Bacteriorhodopsin, a key protein in cell membranes, uses light to transport protons and create a charge difference. Researchers used time-resolved serial femtosecond crystallography to determine the proton pump mechanism, shedding light on a long-standing debate.
Researchers at TSRI reveal precisely how popular flu treatment Arbidol works, stopping the virus from entering host cells. The study's findings could guide the development of future broad-spectrum therapeutics against influenza virus.
University of Minnesota researchers have provided unprecedented images of cancer genome-mutating enzymes acting on DNA, offering vital clues into how these enzymes promote tumor evolution. The findings suggest ways to block enzyme activity in cancer, potentially making current anti-cancer therapies more effective.
Radiation damage hinders SAXS experiments' success due to protein aggregation and fragmentation. A new software, RADDOSE-3D extensions, calculates doses for SAXS experiments, reducing manual burden and assessing radioprotectant efficacy.
Researchers used microseeding technique to overcome hemihedral twinning in protein crystals. The method successfully produced untwinned crystals of LigM, leading to improved crystal structure determination.
Researchers have invented a new method called EF-X, which stimulates protein motions and visualizes them in real-time at atomic resolution. This approach enables the creation of video-like images of proteins in action, opening up new avenues for understanding protein function and potential applications in medicine.
The new method minimizes waste generation and energy consumption, allowing for the recycling of rare-earth metals at a higher rate. By pairing specific ions, the researchers can filter out individual metal cations, enabling their separation and recovery.
Researchers study organizing principles behind high Z' crystal structures to understand material properties like solubility and bioavailability. By analyzing complex structures, they identify organization principles tied to chemical molecule details.
Researchers at Scripps Research Institute discovered that a human enzyme has evolved to change its shape and function without major architectural changes. This unique ability allows the enzyme to carry out new roles in humans, shedding light on diseases linked to mutations in aminoacyl tRNA synthetases.
Researchers at Emory Health Sciences have made a breakthrough in understanding how diabetes drugs interact with LRH-1, a protein that regulates metabolism of fat and sugar. The study found that small changes to compounds can significantly impact their binding pocket interaction.
Scientists used cutting-edge imaging and computational tools to decipher the assembly process of ribosomes, revealing multiple routes for assembly and parallel pathways. This discovery has significant implications for understanding diseases and developing safer medicines.
Researchers mapped the structure of a portion of the NMDA receptor, which recognizes zinc and glutamate. The study provides insight into the regulation of NMDA receptors and their role in mental health disorders.
Tiny, glowing crystals can selectively capture heavy-metal toxins like lead and mercury from water sources, making them a promising tool for cleaning up contaminated drinking water. The LMOFs' open framework allows them to take in large amounts of contaminants, and they can be reused multiple times.
An international team has made a breakthrough by trapping an intermediate in the mechanism of heme peroxidase enzymes and determining its structure using neutron beams. This finding could change our understanding of how these enzymes work, shedding new light on their role in biochemical processes.
Scientists have developed haptic interfaces to enhance collaboration and data analysis in X-ray crystallography. The technology enables real-time visualization and classification of experimental crystallization data on a cloud-based database, streamlining the process and reducing manual effort.
Researchers at Scripps Research Institute have developed a new structure-based drug design strategy to target the estrogen receptor, reducing resistance and side effects in hormone-driven breast cancer treatments. The approach uses x-ray crystallography to visualize how drugs interact with the receptor, allowing for the creation of bio...
Researchers have identified a specific site on the surface of the human astrovirus that can be targeted for development of a vaccine or antiviral therapy. By binding to this site, neutralizing antibodies can block the virus's ability to infect human cells, providing a potential roadmap for treatment options.
Scientists have found that the Zika virus uses a complex molecular process to produce disease-causing small RNAs. The researchers used x-ray crystallography to understand the structure of these RNA segments, which interact with and block cellular enzymes.
A public database of macromolecular diffraction experiments has been developed to archive raw data and metadata from X-ray crystallographic studies. The resource contains 3070 experiments with partially curated metadata, aiming to improve protein structure-determination methods and ensure the availability of orphan data.
Scientists have discovered a complex interaction between zinc and serum albumin, revealing multiple binding sites that facilitate the transport of zinc throughout the body. This finding provides new insights into how the body maintains delicate balances necessary for good health, known as homeostasis.
A comprehensive digital database of magnetic structures, MAGNDATA, has been developed using systematic application of magnetic symmetry. The database contains over 400 commensurate and incommensurate magnetic structures, providing a standardized framework for description and storage of magnetic structures.
A new study from Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute reveals that a key group of transcription factors are 'druggable,' including those involved in cancer, metabolism, and immunity. The research identifies seven bHLH-PAS proteins with pockets where drugs could fit and remain tightly bound.
Scientists investigate RNA's ability to replicate itself under prebiotic conditions, revealing unexpected non-Watson-Crick pairings that might have hindered early replication. The findings suggest a more trial-and-error approach to the emergence of life.
A new study reveals the detailed structure of the human CB1 receptor, a key target for cannabinoids. The findings provide clues to mechanisms by which certain chemicals produce longer-lasting effects and offer guidance for designing novel medications that specifically target portions of the receptor.
Dr. Rama Ranganathan receives a Transformative Research Award from the National Institutes of Health's Common Fund to visualize protein mechanics and understand their mechanism of action in healthy and disease states.
A team of researchers has unraveled the mechanism of a key enzyme involved in bacterial antibiotic resistance. The study, published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry and PLOS One, reveals the structure of Rifampicin monooxygenase and provides detailed information on its mechanism of action.
Current methods for determining compound chirality rely on X-ray diffraction and computer analysis. Recent advancements have improved the accuracy of absolute structure assignment, enabling reliable results for compounds containing heavy atoms.
A team of researchers has uncovered the detailed structure of a Type IV pilus, revealing how it binds to and disrupts endothelial cell junctions to breach the blood-brain barrier. This discovery could lead to new ways of treating meningococcal infection and potentially even therapies that deliberately open the blood-brain barrier.
Researchers at MIPT and several universities create technology to determine spatial structure of receptor proteins, crucial for human health. By using sulfur atoms and Serial Femtosecond Crystallography, scientists solve the problem of radiation damage, enabling precise analysis of protein structures with a resolution of 1.9Å.
Researchers at HZB and Marburg developed an expert system that identifies small molecule fragments bound to proteins in raw X-ray diffraction data. The system has been successfully tested on 364 samples, revealing additional candidates for drug development.
Researchers used neutron crystallography to study the binding of acetazolamide to human carbonic anhydrase isoform II, gaining insights into H-bonding networks and hydrophobic interactions. This technique provides missing details that X-ray crystallography couldn't capture, enabling more effective drug design.
Scientists have made detailed atomic-level images of a peroxiredoxin protein and found its peculiar characteristic may form the foundation for a new class of antibiotics. The research reveals that selectively blocking peroxiredoxin function in bacterial cells could kill them without harming normal cells.
A new crystallization plate, developed at Cornell University's CHESS, has been used in experiments on the SpaceX CRS 8 mission to learn about protein structure. The In-Situ-1 plate overcomes issues with plastic microplates that made it difficult to assess crystal quality.
Scientists at Scripps Research Institute have determined a previously unknown structure of proteins key to making terpenoids, a family of molecules encompassing successful cancer treatments. The study provides insight into how Nature makes these compounds and may lead to engineering structural diversity in bacteria.
Researchers have successfully fabricated a millimeter-sized chip capable of splitting a beam of X-rays. The chip features fork-shaped channels that efficiently transport and split the beam, producing interference patterns similar to those in classical Young's double-slit experiments.
A team of scientists has discovered a class of materials that can surpass the Shockley-Queisser limit, allowing for more efficient solar cell conversion. By using a barium titanate crystal, they were able to extract power from a small portion of the sunlight spectrum with higher efficiency than previously thought possible.
Researchers at WashU Medicine have identified six antibodies capable of protecting against Zika virus infection in mice, providing crucial information on how these antibodies interact with the virus. The discovery could lead to the development of a vaccine, diagnostic tests, and potentially new therapies for Zika-related diseases.
Researchers from Tianjin University and Nankai University have unraveled the puzzle of how Zika virus replicates. They discovered a tunnel in the enzyme that holds viral RNA, allowing it to unwind its genetic material. This breakthrough could lead to the development of antiretroviral drugs against this spreading disease.
Researchers have captured new images of a calcium-shuttling molecule that has been linked to aggressive cancers. This discovery could lead to the development of novel therapies and diagnostic tools for diseases caused by malfunctioning calcium adsorption.
A team of researchers has obtained detailed structural information on KDM5 histone demethylase inhibitors, which could inform the design of more potent and selective anticancer drugs. The study found that these inhibitors can stop the growth of certain breast cancer cells, particularly those with specific genetic markers.
Researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology have discovered the molecular mechanism behind autophagy initiation, revealing that Atg13 forms a supramolecular complex with other proteins. This breakthrough may lead to the development of therapeutic treatments for diseases such as neurodegeneration and cancer.
A Harvard team has developed discrete molecular imaging (DMI), which enhances super-resolution microscopy with ultra-high resolution, enabling researchers to study molecular conformations and heterogeneities. The technology complements current structural biology methods, opening up new ways to analyze complex biological samples.
Researchers have discovered two antibodies that can efficiently neutralize both dengue and Zika viruses, sharing identical binding sites on their viral envelopes. This breakthrough could lead to the development of a single vaccine offering protection against both diseases.