Old Cells Work Differently

The agglutination and accumulation of proteins in nerve cells are major hallmarks of age-related neurodegenerative illnesses such as Alzheimer's disease. Cellular survival thus depends on a controlled removal of excessive ...

Cell biologists discover on-off switch for key stem cell gene

Consider the relationship between an air traffic controller and a pilot. The pilot gets the passengers to their destination, but the air traffic controller decides when the plane can take off and when it must wait. The same ...

Getting inside the control mechanisms of complex systems

Northeastern University researchers are offering a fascinating glimpse into how greater control of complex systems, such as cellular networks and social media, can be achieved by merging the tools of network science and control ...

Lessons from herbicide tolerance

(Phys.org)—Polyamines are widespread and important organic compounds involved in multiple cellular processes in living organisms. Their levels are highly regulated through a combination of processes including synthesis, ...

RNA folding: A little cooperation goes a long way

(Phys.org)—The nucleic acid RNA is an essential part of the critical process by which the cells in our bodies manufacture proteins. But noncoding RNAs also exist whose sequences, while not converted into proteins, play ...

'Zombie' bacteria are nothing to be afraid of

A cell is not a soap bubble that can simply pinch in two to reproduce. The ability to faithfully copy genetic material and distribute it equally to daughter cells is fundamental to all forms of life. Even seemingly simple ...

page 1 from 2