Cell Biology

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New techniques could help neuroscientists track brain computations

Since the 1950s at least, researchers have speculated that the brain is a kind of computer in which neurons make up complex circuits that perform untold numbers of calculations every second. Decades later, neuroscientists know that these brain circuits exist, yet technical limitations have kept most details of their computations out of reach.

14 Dec 2019

Using new high-resolution imaging to track titin in real time

Using new high-resolution imaging techniques, MDC researchers and colleagues have tracked titin, the body's largest protein, in real time throughout its entire lifecycle. The method and results could provide new insight into muscle development as well as treating damaged muscles and heart disease.

14 Dec 2019

New study improves understanding of widespread diseases

When proteins in the brain form deposits consisting of insoluble aggregates, diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's can occur. Now a research team has come a step closer to understanding this process.

14 Dec 2019

International project to preserve genetic resources of birds

The support is provided by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research and the Science and Innovation in East Asia Consortium. Kazan Federal University's partners are Mahidol University and Kumamoto University.

14 Dec 2019

Holo-tomographic microscopy allows researchers to quantify new cell biology phenomena

Combining image analysis with a three-dimensional microscopy technique allows researchers to quantify new or little-understood cell biology phenomena, according to a new study publishing December 19 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Mathieu Frechin of the Swiss company Nanolive and colleagues.

13 Dec 2019

Scientists solve 3D structure of vaccinia virus RNA polymerase

For viruses to multiply, they usually need the support of the cells they infect. In many cases, only in their host's nucleus can they find the machines, enzymes and building blocks with which they can multiply their genetic material before infecting other cells.

12 Dec 2019

Promising new light-based sensor to study lab-grown tissue

Someday, doctors would like to grow limbs and other body tissue for soldiers who have lost arms in battle, children who need a new heart or liver, and many other people with critical needs.

12 Dec 2019

New system enables real-time observations of individual cells in the colon

Biomedical engineers at Duke University have developed a system that allows for real-time observations of individual cells in the colon of a living mouse.

11 Dec 2019

A network approach to explore the causes of IBD

Diseases of the gut are often notoriously difficult to diagnose, nevermind understand, which is where a network-based approach comes in.

10 Dec 2019

New method to create artificial cells that are active and mimic living cells

Protocells - artificial cells - that are active and mimic living cells by moving independently and that are biocompatible and enzymatically active are now possible using an improved method developed by Penn State researchers.

9 Dec 2019

Study reveals new mechanism that contributes to bone maintenance and repair

Led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, a study published in the journal Cell Stem Cell reveals a new mechanism that contributes to adult bone maintenance and repair and opens the possibility of developing therapeutic strategies for improving bone healing.

9 Dec 2019

Researchers validate RNA sequencing methods using crab's nervous system model

"Being crabby" might have a whole new meaning.

6 Dec 2019

New tool can rapidly reveal unintended changes made by CRISPR-directed gene editing

Amidst rising hopes for using CRISPR gene editing tools to repair deadly mutations linked to conditions like cystic fibrosis and sickle cell disease, a new study in the Nature journal Communications Biology describes a new innovation that could accelerate this work by rapidly revealing unintended and potentially harmful changes introduced by a gene editing process.

6 Dec 2019

Novel nanopipette pH biosensor could help with cancer diagnosis and treatment

Nanopipettes with zwitterionic membranes may offer improved monitoring of changes in pH surrounding living cells, which can indicate traits of invasive cancer cells and their response to treatment, report researchers at Kanazawa University in Nature Communications.

6 Dec 2019

Scientists uncover new link between pathways involved in RNA degradation

A recent study by a team of scientists in Korea reveals new findings about how various systems involved in cellular surveillance interact. This research is the first to identify a "cross-talk" molecule between these systems. Because these pathways are involved in fighting toxic cellular or foreign substances, the study has various potential applications in antiviral development, gene therapy, and agriculture.

6 Dec 2019

Study provides new insight into learning mechanisms of the cerebellum

In mere milliseconds trillions of chemical reactions ignite signals that travel across the billions of neurons in our brain. As we go through our daily lives and absorb new knowledge these neurons begin to modify themselves and change their signaling properties.

6 Dec 2019

Thin hair tends to be stronger than thick hair, study shows

Despite being four times thicker than human hair, elephant hair is only half as strong--that's just one finding from researchers studying the hair strength of many different mammals.

6 Dec 2019

Discovery of protein function opens door to potential therapies for addiction, behavioral disorders

The human brain consists of several intricate networks or "circuits." One such complex circuit, called the "reward circuit," is involved in reward-associated learning, a process in which nerve cell activity changes in response to a "reward" stimulus (something that the brain perceives as a reward).

5 Dec 2019

Goethe University researchers develop new method to measure acute cellular changes

When cells are stressed, they initiate a complex and precisely regulated response to prevent permanent damage. One of the immediate reactions to stress signals is a reduction of protein synthesis (translation). Until now, it was difficult to measure such acute cellular changes. As reported in the latest online issue of the renowned journal Molecular Cell, researchers at Goethe University have now developed a method overcoming this hurdle.

5 Dec 2019

Scientists identify how damaged DNA molecules are repaired inside the human genome

A team of scientists has identified how damaged DNA molecules are repaired inside the human genome, a discovery that offers new insights into how the body works to ensure its health and how it responds to diseases that stem from impaired DNA.

5 Dec 2019