Cells, as physical systems, are discrete, membrane-bound units of biological organization that maintain non-equilibrium thermodynamic states through regulated exchanges of matter and energy with their environment. They comprise structurally organized macromolecular assemblies—primarily lipids, proteins, nucleic acids, and carbohydrates—partitioned into distinct compartments (e.g., cytosol, organelles) that support specialized biochemical networks. These systems exhibit emergent properties such as signal processing, self-replication, and adaptive response, governed by gene expression programs and biophysical constraints. At multiple scales, cells function as fundamental units of structure and function in organisms, integrating mechanical, chemical, and electrical processes within a dynamically regulated spatial architecture.
Researchers at University College Dublin have discovered a previously unknown "courier system" that cells use to deliver coherent biological messages between each other, opening new possibilities for medicine and biotechnology. ...
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 16, 2026
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Intracellular transport is a vital process that allows cells to move proteins and other molecules to specific locations. This process is especially important in neurons, which have highly polarized structures with long extensions ...
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 10, 2026
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Before a cell can divide, it has to precisely duplicate its entire genetic information. However, the DNA in the cell exists as part of a DNA-protein complex known as chromatin. For this purpose, the DNA is wrapped around ...
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 1, 2026
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10
How can cancer cells be targeted without damaging healthy tissue? This is one of the major challenges facing oncology today. Using synthetic DNA strands, a team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) has created a "smart" ...
Bio & Medicine
Apr 1, 2026
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We are continually in an evolutionary arms race with bacteria. As we develop new antibiotics, they develop resistance, and so it goes on until some of our treatments no longer work. Superbugs and antimicrobial resistance ...
In a demonstration that could help pave the way for gene therapies with fewer side effects, several human cell types have been genetically modified with protein nanoparticles designed at University of Michigan Engineering ...
Bio & Medicine
Mar 30, 2026
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103
When cells experience enough chronic stress, they can stop dividing permanently. In this state of cellular limbo, known as replicative senescence, cells remain alive but no longer proliferate. Pinpointing the stressors that ...
Cell & Microbiology
Mar 30, 2026
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A multi-institutional team of scientists, co-led by Northwestern University, has taken a crucial step toward implantable "living pharmacies"—tiny devices containing engineered cells that continuously produce medicines inside ...
Cell & Microbiology
Mar 27, 2026
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Microtubules, the dynamic filaments that form the cell's internal scaffolding, have long been viewed as mere passive structural supports. But a new study reveals they play a far more active signaling role. The findings, published ...
Cell & Microbiology
Mar 25, 2026
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69
In conventional pathology and physiology research, two-dimensional (2D) analysis—observing thinly sliced tissue sections—has been mainstream, making it difficult to comprehensively understand the distribution of cells across ...
Cell & Microbiology
Mar 23, 2026
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