Protein molecules in cells function as miniature antennas
(Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IOCB Prague)) Researchers led by Josef Lazar from IOCB Prague have demonstrated that molecules of fluorescent proteins act as antennas with optical properties (i.e. the ability to absorb and emit light) dependent on their spatial orientation. First discovered in jellyfish, fluorescent proteins are nowadays widely used in studies of molecular processes in living cells and organisms. The newly described properties of these molecules will find applications in basic biological research as well as in novel drug discovery. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - December 2, 2020 Category: Biology Source Type: news
London A.I. Lab Claims Breakthrough That Could Accelerate Drug Discovery
Researchers at DeepMind say they have solved “the protein folding problem,” a task that has bedeviled scientists for more than 50 years. (Source: NYT Health)
Source: NYT Health - November 30, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Cade Metz Tags: Computers and the Internet Clinical Trials Science and Technology Drugs (Pharmaceuticals) Proteins Laboratories and Scientific Equipment Artificial Intelligence Biology and Biochemistry Google Inc Hassabis, Demis your-feed-science yo Source Type: news
World's first research programme to identify scarring gene launched
A world-leading £ 1.5 million research programme that aims to achieve scar free healing within a generation has been launched today [26 November] by The Scar Free Foundation, the only medical research charity which focuses solely on scarring. The five-year research study led by the University of Bristol will identify the gene(s) that causes scarring and inform future treatments. (Source: University of Bristol news)
Source: University of Bristol news - November 26, 2020 Category: Universities & Medical Training Tags: Health, International, Research; Faculty of Life Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience; Press Release Source Type: news
Structure of a vaccine candidate
(Source: ScienceNOW)
Source: ScienceNOW - November 26, 2020 Category: Science Authors: Vinson, V. Tags: Biochemistry, Immunology twis Source Type: news
Dephosphorylating RNA polymerase II
(Source: ScienceNOW)
Source: ScienceNOW - November 26, 2020 Category: Science Authors: Jiang, D. Tags: Biochemistry, Molecular Biology twis Source Type: news
Quality control in mitochondria
(Source: ScienceNOW)
Source: ScienceNOW - November 26, 2020 Category: Science Authors: Vinson, V. Tags: Biochemistry twis Source Type: news
Structural analysis of full-length SARS-CoV-2 spike protein from an advanced vaccine candidate
This study confirms the structural integrity of the full-length spike protein immunogen and provides a basis for interpreting immune responses to this multivalent nanoparticle immunogen. (Source: ScienceNOW)
Source: ScienceNOW - November 26, 2020 Category: Science Authors: Bangaru, S., Ozorowski, G., Turner, H. L., Antanasijevic, A., Huang, D., Wang, X., Torres, J. L., Diedrich, J. K., Tian, J.-H., Portnoff, A. D., Patel, N., Massare, M. J., Yates, J. R., Nemazee, D., Paulson, J. C., Glenn, G., Smith, G., Ward, A. B. Tags: Biochemistry, Immunology reports Source Type: news
Elongational stalling activates mitoribosome-associated quality control
We report the discovery of a mitoribosome-associated quality control pathway that responds to interruptions during elongation, and we present structures at 3.1- to 3.3-angstrom resolution of mitoribosomal large subunits trapped during ribosome rescue. Release factor homolog C12orf65 (mtRF-R) and RNA binding protein C6orf203 (MTRES1) eject the nascent chain and peptidyl transfer RNA (tRNA), respectively, from stalled ribosomes. Recruitment of mitoribosome biogenesis factors to these quality control intermediates suggests additional roles for these factors during mitoribosome rescue. We also report related cryo–electro...
Source: ScienceNOW - November 26, 2020 Category: Science Authors: Desai, N., Yang, H., Chandrasekaran, V., Kazi, R., Minczuk, M., Ramakrishnan, V. Tags: Biochemistry reports Source Type: news
Identification of Integrator-PP2A complex (INTAC), an RNA polymerase II phosphatase
The 14-subunit metazoan-specific Integrator contains an endonuclease that cleaves nascent RNA transcripts. Here, we identified a complex containing Integrator and protein phosphatase 2A core enzyme (PP2A-AC), termed INTAC. The 3.5-angstrom-resolution structure reveals that nine human Integrator subunits and PP2A-AC assemble into a cruciform-shaped central scaffold formed by the backbone and shoulder modules, with the phosphatase and endonuclease modules flanking the opposite sides. As a noncanonical PP2A holoenzyme, the INTAC complex dephosphorylates the carboxy-terminal repeat domain of RNA polymerase II at serine-2, -5, ...
Source: ScienceNOW - November 26, 2020 Category: Science Authors: Zheng, H., Qi, Y., Hu, S., Cao, X., Xu, C., Yin, Z., Chen, X., Li, Y., Liu, W., Li, J., Wang, J., Wei, G., Liang, K., Chen, F. X., Xu, Y. Tags: Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Online Only r-articles Source Type: news
Study: Early, late stages of degenerative diseases are distinct
(Rice University) Rice University biochemists have proposed that degenerative diseases as varied as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and muscle atrophy occur in two distinct phases marked by protein signaling changes that could result in patients responding differently to the same treatment. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - November 23, 2020 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news
Coronavirus Antibodies Good. Machine-Made Molecules Better?
With help from computer algorithms, researchers designed proteins from scratch that can trounce the coronavirus in lab animals. (Source: NYT Health)
Source: NYT Health - November 21, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Katherine J. Wu Tags: Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Antibodies Proteins Biology and Biochemistry Artificial Intelligence your-feed-science your-feed-health California Institute of Technology Source Type: news
Covid vaccine technology pioneer: 'I never doubted it would work'
Katalin Karik ó’s mRNA research helped pave way for Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna’s successful workCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe Hungarian-born biochemist who helped pioneer the research behind the mRNA technology used in the two Covid-19 vaccines showing positive results believes it was always a no-brainer.“I never doubted it would work,” Katalin Karikó told the Guardian. “I had seen the data from animal studies, and I was expecting it. I always wished that I would live long enough to see something that I’ve worked on be approved.”Continue reading... (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - November 21, 2020 Category: Science Authors: Julia Kollewe Tags: Medical research Biochemistry and molecular biology Vaccines and immunisation Coronavirus Health Society World news Science UK news Source Type: news
Biofriendly protocells pump up blood vessels
An international team of researchers from Bristol and China has prepared biocompatible protocells that generate nitric oxide gas – a known reagent for blood vessel dilation - that when placed inside blood vessels expand the biological tissue. (Source: University of Bristol news)
Source: University of Bristol news - November 20, 2020 Category: Universities & Medical Training Tags: Health, International, Public engagement, Research, Publications; Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, School of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Faculty of Science, School of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, School of Biological Source Type: news
Ultrapotent human antibodies protect against SARS-CoV-2 challenge via multiple mechanisms
We report the isolation and characterization of two ultrapotent SARS-CoV-2 human neutralizing antibodies (S2E12 and S2M11) that protect hamsters against SARS-CoV-2 challenge. Cryo–electron microscopy structures show that S2E12 and S2M11 competitively block angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) attachment and that S2M11 also locks the spike in a closed conformation by recognition of a quaternary epitope spanning two adjacent receptor-binding domains. Antibody cocktails that include S2M11, S2E12, or the previously identified S309 antibody broadly neutralize a panel of circulating SARS-CoV-2 isolates and activate effec...
Source: ScienceNOW - November 19, 2020 Category: Science Authors: Tortorici, M. A., Beltramello, M., Lempp, F. A., Pinto, D., Dang, H. V., Rosen, L. E., McCallum, M., Bowen, J., Minola, A., Jaconi, S., Zatta, F., De Marco, A., Guarino, B., Bianchi, S., Lauron, E. J., Tucker, H., Zhou, J., Peter, A., Havenar-Daughton, C. Tags: Biochemistry, Immunology r-articles Source Type: news
Two ways to get tangled?
(Source: ScienceNOW)
Source: ScienceNOW - November 19, 2020 Category: Science Authors: Hurtley, S. M. Tags: Biochemistry, Medicine, Diseases twis Source Type: news
