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Molecular & Computational biology news
Mining the dark transcriptome: Synthesizing the first potential drug molecules from long noncoding RNA
A team from University of Toronto Engineering is the first to synthesize long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) outside the cell—a new approach to drug discovery that has already yielded some promising anti-inflammatory molecules. ...
Biotechnology
36 minutes ago
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Breeding for bigger cattle may come with hidden fertility trade-offs
A University of Queensland analysis of genetic data from northern Australian cattle has identified key regions of the genome that influence traits like fertility, growth and body condition, sometimes all at the same time. ...
Molecular & Computational biology
46 minutes ago
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Electron microscopy maps protein landscapes that drive photosynthesis
Research led by scientists at Washington State University has revealed insights on how plants form a microscopic landscape of proteins crucial to photosynthesis, the basis of Earth's food and energy chain. The discovery provides ...
Plants & Animals
2 hours ago
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Telomere breaks provide new insights into chaotic chromosome mutations
Researchers at Cardiff University have uncovered how a particularly severe form of DNA damage arises—shedding new light on mutation processes that contribute to cancer and inherited genetic conditions. The study, led by ...
Cell & Microbiology
3 hours ago
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AI-enabled quantum refinement cracks the code of difficult-to-map proteins
Using a tool to solve a protein's structure, for most researchers in the world of structural biology and computational chemistry, is not unlike using the Rosetta Stone to unlock the secrets of ancient Egyptian texts. Once ...
Biotechnology
3 hours ago
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Bacteria have a secret engineering trick to keep themselves in shape
Blow up a long balloon and two things happen: it gets longer and it gets wider. Now imagine a living cell that inflates itself under enormous pressure and yet only grows longer, never adding width. That is exactly what rod-shaped ...
Cell & Microbiology
3 hours ago
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A new protein timeline explains plasma membrane repair
In the evolutionary history of life, the ability of a cell to separate its inner world from the external environment was an important turning point. The so-called plasma membrane lets cells control what gets in and out and ...
Cell & Microbiology
4 hours ago
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Why lethal mutations persist: Fruit fly study points to newly transferred jumping genes, not small DNA errors
Most lethal mutations in wild fruit flies are driven by newly transferred jumping genes, not small DNA errors, according to a new study from Duke University. The findings, published in PLOS Biology, challenge decades of assumptions ...
Evolution
4 hours ago
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Why averages fail for bacteria in the open ocean
How can bacteria that forage on organic particles survive in vast ocean regions where such particles are extremely sparse? A new study by researchers from ETH Zurich and Queen Mary University of London shows that variability ...
Cell & Microbiology
5 hours ago
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Mapping 3D-super-enhancers with machine learning to pinpoint regulators of cell identity
Scientists usually study the molecular machinery that controls gene expression from the perspective of a linear, two-dimensional genome—even though DNA and its bound proteins function in three dimensions (3D). To better ...
Cell & Microbiology
Mar 9, 2026
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Pathogenic virus infects and structurally reorganizes human cells, finds new study
Orthohantaviruses, such as the Puumala virus, are widespread in Europe, causing flu-like illnesses and severe kidney damage in those infected. It is increasingly considered a zoonotic threat. Researchers from the Medical ...
Cell & Microbiology
Mar 9, 2026
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How changes on the Y chromosome may make species reproductively incompatible
When closely related species mate, their offspring sometimes survive but cannot reproduce. This pattern often affects males first, with hybrid males frequently failing to produce functional sperm even when hybrid females ...
Evolution
Mar 9, 2026
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Recent pandemic viruses jumped to humans without prior adaptation, study finds
A new University of California San Diego study published in Cell challenges a long-standing assumption about how animal viruses become capable of sparking human epidemics and pandemics. Using a phylogenetic, genome-wide analysis ...
Evolution
Mar 9, 2026
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Cornwall ocean study highlights value of low-cost eDNA tests
Environmental DNA (eDNA) tests can identify genetic material left by organisms in the environment, such as cells and excrement, but surveys of ocean wildlife can be difficult and expensive, and standard eDNA tests are also ...
Ecology
Mar 9, 2026
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How a protein pair ensures that faulty mRNA is destroyed
Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) is one of the most important processes in our cells to ensure that no faulty or incomplete proteins are produced. Scientists have now identified a central mechanism behind this control system.
Cell & Microbiology
Mar 8, 2026
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Contraceptive vaccine reduces fertility in animals to address wildlife overpopulation
A Purdue University contraceptive vaccine seeks to address animal overpopulation by markedly reducing fertility in feral horses, deer, swine and other animals. Dr. Harm HogenEsch, distinguished professor of immunopathology ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Mar 8, 2026
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A new clue to how the body detects physical force
Every time we feel a gentle tap on the skin, specialized nerve cells convert that physical force into an electrical signal the brain can interpret as touch. While scientists have long known that a protein called PIEZO2 acts ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Mar 7, 2026
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Starting point for a COVID drug is the 5000th protein structure decoded at BESSY II
Many proteins have a complex architecture that enables biological functions. Molecules can bind to specific sites on a protein and alter its function. A team at HZB has now investigated the Nsp1 protein, which plays a role ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Mar 6, 2026
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A new 'molecular switch' for inborn immunity identified
Innate immune sensors—known as pattern recognition receptors (PRRs)—detect specific molecular components of bacterial or viral intruders. The PRRs forward the signals which results in the production of interferons, which ...
Cell & Microbiology
Mar 6, 2026
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Light-guided 'optovolution' evolves proteins that switch states on schedule
EPFL researchers have developed a light-based method that can produce proteins that switch states, respond to signals, and even compute, using light and the cell cycle.
Biotechnology
Mar 6, 2026
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Probiotic sugar compound blocks norovirus from attaching to cells
