LSU Health New Orleans study discovers source of Zika neurodevelopmental defects
(Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center) A study led by Edward Wojcik, PhD, Associate Professor of Biochemistry& Molecular Biology at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, identified how microcephaly (abnormally small heads) and blindness may develop in Zika-infected fetuses, as well as a new way to potentially prevent these neurodevelopmental defects. (Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases)
Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases - April 6, 2021 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: news
Committee with no domain expertise approved indigenously manufactured Covaxin: Health experts
“The committee is Delhi centric and dominated by disciplines not connected to vaccines and clinical research. Like in the US such important committees should be multidisciplinary with virologist, persons having a background in cellular and molecular biology, biochemistry, public health and experie nce of conducting clinical research,” former health secretary Sujatha Rao said. (Source: The Economic Times Healthcare and Biotech News)
Source: The Economic Times Healthcare and Biotech News - April 6, 2021 Category: Pharmaceuticals Source Type: news
Committee with no domain expertise approved indigenously manufactured Covaxin, say health experts
“The committee is Delhi centric and dominated by disciplines not connected to vaccines and clinical research. Like in the US such important committees should be multidisciplinary with virologist, persons having a background in cellular and molecular biology, biochemistry, public health and experie nce of conducting clinical research,” former health secretary Sujatha Rao said. (Source: The Economic Times Healthcare and Biotech News)
Source: The Economic Times Healthcare and Biotech News - April 6, 2021 Category: Pharmaceuticals Source Type: news
Researchers Are Hatching a Low-Cost Covid-19 Vaccine
A new formulation entering clinical trials in Brazil, Mexico, Thailand and Vietnam could change how the world fights the pandemic. (Source: NYT Health)
Source: NYT Health - April 5, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Carl Zimmer Tags: your-feed-science Clinical Trials Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) Eggs Immune System Influenza Factories and Manufacturing Antibodies Drugs (Pharmaceuticals) Biology and Biochemistry Gates, Bill and Me Source Type: news
Disrupted biochemical pathway in the brain linked to bipolar disorder
(University of Wisconsin-Madison) In new research, scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have found for the first time that disruptions to a particular protein called Akt can lead to the brain changes characteristic of bipolar disorder. The results offer a foundation for research into treating the often-overlooked cognitive impairments of bipolar disorder, such as memory loss, and add to a growing understanding of how the biochemistry of the brain affects health and disease. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - April 1, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news
Designed proteins assemble antibodies into modular nanocages
Multivalent display of receptor-engaging antibodies or ligands can enhance their activity. Instead of achieving multivalency by attachment to preexisting scaffolds, here we unite form and function by the computational design of nanocages in which one structural component is an antibody or Fc-ligand fusion and the second is a designed antibody-binding homo-oligomer that drives nanocage assembly. Structures of eight nanocages determined by electron microscopy spanning dihedral, tetrahedral, octahedral, and icosahedral architectures with 2, 6, 12, and 30 antibodies per nanocage, respectively, closely match the corresponding c...
Source: ScienceNOW - April 1, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Divine, R., Dang, H. V., Ueda, G., Fallas, J. A., Vulovic, I., Sheffler, W., Saini, S., Zhao, Y. T., Raj, I. X., Morawski, P. A., Jennewein, M. F., Homad, L. J., Wan, Y.-H., Tooley, M. R., Seeger, F., Etemadi, A., Fahning, M. L., Lazarovits, J., Roederer, Tags: Biochemistry, Materials Science, Online Only r-articles Source Type: news
A plateful of medicine
(Source: ScienceNOW)
Source: ScienceNOW - April 1, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Kaiser, J. Tags: Biochemistry, Medicine, Diseases Feature Source Type: news
Mediating transcription
(Source: ScienceNOW)
Source: ScienceNOW - April 1, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Jiang, D. Tags: Biochemistry twis Source Type: news
Integrating form and function for design
(Source: ScienceNOW)
Source: ScienceNOW - April 1, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Vinson, V. Tags: Biochemistry, Materials Science twis Source Type: news
Structure of the human Mediator-bound transcription preinitiation complex
Eukaryotic transcription requires the assembly of a multisubunit preinitiation complex (PIC) composed of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) and the general transcription factors. The coactivator Mediator is recruited by transcription factors, facilitates the assembly of the PIC, and stimulates phosphorylation of the Pol II C-terminal domain (CTD) by the TFIIH subunit CDK7. Here, we present the cryo–electron microscopy structure of the human Mediator-bound PIC at a resolution below 4 angstroms. Transcription factor binding sites within Mediator are primarily flexibly tethered to the tail module. CDK7 is stabilized by multiple...
Source: ScienceNOW - April 1, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Abdella, R., Talyzina, A., Chen, S., Inouye, C. J., Tjian, R., He, Y. Tags: Biochemistry r-articles Source Type: news
Cold Tooth Pain's Mysterious Molecular Culprit
Researchers figured out how a jolt of discomfort gets from the damaged outside of your tooth to the nerves inside it. (Source: NYT Health)
Source: NYT Health - March 26, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Veronique Greenwood Tags: Teeth and Dentistry Temperature Biology and Biochemistry Proteins Mice Science Advances (Journal) Research your-feed-science your-feed-health Source Type: news
Reporter Apoorva Mandavilli Makes Science of Covid Clearer
Behind some of The Times ’s vital journalism on the coronavirus is a reporter who speaks seven languages, holds a master’s degree in biochemistry and, OK, has a weakness for “Bridgerton.” (Source: NYT Health)
Source: NYT Health - March 25, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Katie Van Syckle Tags: Mandavilli, Apoorva New York Times News and News Media Science and Technology Content Type: Personal Profile Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Source Type: news
Laser-controlled receptor clustering
(Source: ScienceNOW)
Source: ScienceNOW - March 25, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Ray, L. B. Tags: Biochemistry, Cell Biology twis Source Type: news
In non-eutherians, a third type of T cell
(Source: ScienceNOW)
Source: ScienceNOW - March 25, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Scanlon, S. T. Tags: Biochemistry, Immunology twis Source Type: news
The molecular assembly of the marsupial {gamma}{mu} T cell receptor defines a third T cell lineage
We describe a population of μTCRs found exclusively in non-eutherian mammals that consist of a two-domain (V-C) -chain paired to a three-domain (Vμ-Vμj-Cμ) μ-chain. μTCRs were characterized by restricted diversity in the V and Vμj domains and a highly diverse unpaired Vμ domain. Crystal structures of two distinct μTCRs revealed the structural basis of the association of the μTCR heterodimer. The Vμ domain shared the characteristics of a single-domain antibody within which the hypervariable CDR3μ loop suggests a major antigen recognition determinant. We define here the molecular basis und...
Source: ScienceNOW - March 25, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Morrissey, K. A., Wegrecki, M., Praveena, T., Hansen, V. L., Bu, L., Sivaraman, K. K., Darko, S., Douek, D. C., Rossjohn, J., Miller, R. D., Le Nours, J. Tags: Biochemistry, Immunology reports Source Type: news
