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Molecular & Computational biology news
Dragonflies share humans' red-light sensing trick, detecting wavelengths near 720 nm
Sometimes, different organisms can evolve the same ability independently, a process called parallel evolution. A new study from Osaka Metropolitan University (OMU) has found that dragonflies sense red light similarly to mammals, ...
Evolution
38 minutes ago
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One DNA letter can trigger complete sex reversal
Researchers at Bar-Ilan University have discovered that changing just one letter in DNA can completely alter sex development in mice. In the new study, published in Nature Communications, a single-letter insertion in a non-coding ...
Molecular & Computational biology
5 hours ago
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Mathematical model predicts fish freshness in real time
Every day, fish caught in oceans and seas around the world pass through a long journey before reaching supermarkets, restaurants, and home kitchens. Along the way, their freshness steadily declines, often in ways that are ...
Molecular & Computational biology
16 hours ago
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The binding sites that guide fungal 'vesicle hitchhiking'—new study maps mRNA transport
A specific protein controls mRNA transport in fungi and distinguishes important from unimportant binding sites in the transported mRNAs. Researchers from Würzburg and Düsseldorf have discovered this mechanism.
Cell & Microbiology
16 hours ago
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Glucose transport may hinge on a fleeting transition-like state
Stockholm University and SciLifeLab researchers have uncovered how glucose transporters move nutrients into cells, bridging a long-standing gap between structure and function in membrane biology. "Our study shows that these ...
Cell & Microbiology
22 hours ago
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AI uncovers hidden immune defenses inside bacteria
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have discovered thousands of new proteins that protect bacteria from virus attacks using an AI system called DefensePredictor. What would usually take months ...
Split shift: A surprising twist in the biology of aging
A new Yale study of flatworms, a species with the unique ability to regenerate, reveals that disruptions in the body's internal map of cellular organization may play a part in age-related decline.
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 8, 2026
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Climate change may speed evolution through inherited gene regulation changes
A new paper in Molecular Biology and Evolution, finds that changes in animal development induced by climate shock persist generations after the initial event. The escalating effects of climate change are likely to, in effect, ...
Evolution
Apr 8, 2026
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AI is reengineering drug discovery by speeding up testing and scanning petabytes of data
In December, The Conversation hosted a webinar on AI's revolutionary role in drug discovery and development. Science and technology editor Eric Smalley interviewed Jeffrey Skolnick, eminent scholar in computational systems ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Apr 7, 2026
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This protein helps cancer cells survive treatment—and points to new treatments
Researchers at Umeå University have contributed new insights into how cancer cells protect themselves from cell death. The study provides a deeper understanding of how key proteins interact within the cell and could, in the ...
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 7, 2026
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Molecular 'leash' measures force-sensing protein activation at about 15 piconewtons
Researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have built a molecular "leash" to pull directly on a force-sensing protein called Piezo1, and discovered it switches on at about 15 piconewtons, proving that it can ...
Biotechnology
Apr 7, 2026
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Researchers clarify how cells remove damaged endoplasmic reticulum
The cell's endoplasmic reticulum (ER) plays a central role in protein synthesis, folding, and calcium (Ca²⁺) storage. When damaged, ER-phagy (self-eating) removes affected ER regions via double-membrane vesicles called autophagosomes. ...
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 7, 2026
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What this AI epitope library means for vaccines, immunotherapy and biosensors
A new tool makes it possible to screen millions of tiny protein fragments and select those that can be recognized by the immune system. The CIC biomaGUNE Center for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials has developed epiGPTope, ...
Biotechnology
Apr 7, 2026
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3D microscopy reveals how a tick-borne virus reshapes human cells to replicate
Researchers at Umeå University show how tick-borne viruses remodel human cells into virus factories, using an advanced microscopy method. The findings provide new insight into how the virus replicates and matures, knowledge ...
Biotechnology
Apr 7, 2026
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Network analysis reveals mammal food web drivers across Africa
Ecology is often understood as a hyperlocal thing. The ecology of a pond, for instance, is vastly complex, even if the pond is tiny. But learning solely from local ecosystems is a slow and laborious approach that may not ...
Ecology
Apr 7, 2026
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Ak4 regulates mitochondrial DNA synthesis to control macrophage antibacterial activity, research finds
A mitochondrial enzyme, Ak4, strengthens immune defense by promoting mitochondrial DNA synthesis and enhancing macrophage antibacterial activity. When bacteria invade the body, macrophages serve as frontline defenders, rapidly ...
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 7, 2026
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Matcha model makes drug candidate screening more than 30 times faster
Ligand Pro, founded by Skoltech professors and a Skoltech Ph.D. student, has presented Matcha, an AI-powered molecular docking model that performs virtual drug screening 30 times faster than the large co-folding models of ...
Biotechnology
Apr 7, 2026
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Scientists identify potential new target for disrupting mosquito reproduction
A longstanding mystery in mosquito biology has been solved, opening a potential new path for controlling mosquitoes and the diseases they spread. For decades, scientists believed that juvenile hormone, a chemical signal essential ...
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 6, 2026
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Expanded MAGIC toolkit makes genome-wide single-cell mosaic analysis possible in Drosophila
Researchers at Cornell University have developed a powerful new genetic toolkit that allows scientists to study how genes function at the level of individual cells, an advance that could accelerate discoveries in development, ...
Biotechnology
Apr 6, 2026
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Pigeons tend to respond 'at the edge of chaos,' study finds
If you were rewarded for following a particular pattern of behavior, wouldn't you keep doing it? The answer turns out to be more nuanced than you might think. In a new study, University of Iowa researchers report that pigeons ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 6, 2026
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