Last update:
Cell & Microbiology news
Why high levels of the amino acid cysteine are toxic to cells
Cysteine is one of the main building blocks that cells use to make proteins. But this amino acid is a double-edged sword—too much cysteine is toxic to the cell. Cells therefore keep free cysteine levels to a minimum, converting ...
Evolution
7 hours ago
0
9
Ubiquitin marks abnormal glycogen for destruction to protect the brain, study finds
Researchers at the University of Cambridge and the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology have discovered a previously unknown cellular defense system that protects the brain from abnormal glycogen accumulation, which is linked ...
Cell & Microbiology
22 hours ago
0
30
Newfound fungal nutrient-sensing mechanism could advance biofuels and disease control
Scientists have taken a step toward a better understanding of how fungi sense and respond to nutrients in the environment, which is critical for engineering fungi for green technologies and combating fungal pathogens and ...
Cell & Microbiology
23 hours ago
0
16
Microfluidic device simulates human tissue and offers an alternative to animal testing
Researchers at the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) have developed microfluidic technology that can grow cells in three dimensions (3D). The goal is to conduct toxicity tests on new products by ...
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 17, 2026
0
13
Decoding the DNA switches behind gene regulation
Understanding gene regulation may be key to interpreting human disease genetics. Genes are regulated in part by stretches of DNA called enhancers, which define when, where and how strongly each gene is turned on. Mapping ...
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 17, 2026
0
14
Two spike 'keys' work together to let SARS-CoV-2 enter cells, study reveals
To enter cells, the COVID-19 virus fuses its surrounding membrane with the membrane of the target cell. This is where the fusion peptides of the spike protein come into play. These regions function as molecular keys that ...
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 17, 2026
0
8
Device simulates natural conditions to grow biofilms and test their antibiotic susceptibility more accurately
Biofilms are complex microbial communities that adhere to a surface and encase themselves in a viscous matrix they produce. This structure protects bacteria from antibiotics and the immune system far more effectively than ...
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 16, 2026
0
7
Global database reveals hidden diversity and potential of deep-sea microbes
The ocean's aphotic zone—the dark, high-pressure region below the surface, where sunlight cannot reach—is home to a vast wealth of microbial life. Yet scientists know relatively little about the genetic makeup, growth and ...
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 16, 2026
0
25
Tendon cells can rebound from stiffness when returned to softer tissue-like surroundings
Researchers at Queen Mary University of London are closer to understanding tendinopathy, a common condition that can cause persistent pain and impaired movement in people and many animals.
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 16, 2026
0
680
Fungi neutralize spruce defense mechanisms with sugar
A research team at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology discovered a previously unknown strategy by which certain fungi neutralize spruce defense compounds. These fungi are introduced into trees by bark beetles, ...
Ecology
Sep 16, 2026
0
9
Hedgehog coronaviruses may threaten cats more than humans, new study finds
Washington State University researchers have discovered how a group of coronaviruses circulating in hedgehogs invades host cells, a key to understanding their potential to jump between species and their risk of causing a ...
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 16, 2026
0
15
3D scans reveal how lichen fungi grip algae across cell walls
Lichens colonize trees and rocks all over the world. They are symbiotic communities between fungi and photosynthetically active green algae or cyanobacteria, in which both partners benefit from each other: The fungal partner ...
Ecology
Sep 16, 2026
0
10
First-of-its-kind preventive phage therapy provides promising results against Salmonella
The mammalian gut microbiome teems with a delicate balance of bacteria and the viruses that keep them in check, called bacteriophages, or phages. Each bacterial species usually has its own set of phage partners.
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 16, 2026
0
90
Mitotic chromosomes may assemble from pre-existing chromatin 'building blocks' during cell division
Inside each human cell, about 2 meters (6.6 feet) of genomic DNA must be accurately copied and equally transmitted to two daughter cells during cell division. To achieve this, the copied DNA is condensed into thick, short ...
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 15, 2026
0
20
Heat-stable enzyme from deep-sea microbe turns nitrogen gas into ammonia
Microorganisms can do remarkable things—for example, nitrogen fixation, the conversion of nitrogen gas (N₂) into a form that organisms can use. Although nitrogen gas makes up around 78% of Earth's atmosphere, plants and animals ...
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 15, 2026
0
100
Avoiding a sticky situation: How cells stop messenger RNAs from clumping together
Messenger RNA, or mRNA, is best known for carrying genetic instructions from DNA to the cellular machinery that makes proteins. But all RNA molecules have another, less appreciated property: They are naturally sticky.
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 15, 2026
0
9
How individual cells 'surf' chemical waves to form a collective
Researchers have developed an innovative imaging technique to visualize the transition of single cells into multicellular organisms in new detail.
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 15, 2026
0
10
Biophysical model suggests how cells optimize information gathering without using too much energy
In both biological and engineered systems, cells and sensors must make sense of noisy, changing signals to function. However, collecting and using this information consumes valuable energy. A new study, published in Physical ...
Marine bacteria team up to break down one of the ocean's toughest carbon-storing molecules
Deep in the ocean, brown algae and diatoms produce a complex carbohydrate molecule called fucoidan, which helps form their protective outer layers. The fucoidan molecule is very difficult for microbes to break down because ...
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 15, 2026
0
31
Scientists discover dispersal mechanism and new gene family in harmful E. coli strains
Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have identified how certain dangerous bacteria spread. They studied chain-like adherence pattern (CLAP) varieties of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), finding that single ...
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 14, 2026
0
27
More news
AI models enable cross-species mapping of cell biology
Structural study explains how cells stabilize protective membrane pockets
Cancer-linked protein binds to chromosome in unexpected way, study finds
RNA 'delivery tags' guide key messages to distant neuron branches
AI automates 3D membrane mapping, matching manual results in a fraction of time
Why do some salivary glands fail? Researchers point to hidden cell stress
As antibiotic resistance grows, researchers turn to copper to fight infections
Cell wall transport disruption exposes weakness in antibiotic-resistant bacteria
From flower to fruit: A tug-of-war between growing tissues
AI reveals new class of cellular 'off switch' linked to cancer pathways
These bacteria can change their diet to survive inside the body
A 'wholistic' view of cellular communication across an entire animal
Local microbes persist in wine despite commercial yeast
How seeds decide whether to wake up in salty soil
Super-resolution imaging reveals details inside living cells
Pumping antibiotics out: A new route to bacterial drug resistance
Researchers rewire ribosomes to specialize in one protein
AI model decodes cell signaling fingerprints across diverse cell types
Are bots changing how people talk? Language in the age of AI
