Subcellular structures are distinct, spatially organized physical systems within cells, encompassing membrane-bound organelles (e.g., mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, lysosomes), non-membranous bodies (e.g., ribosomes, cytoskeleton, centrosomes), and specialized compartments (e.g., nucleolus, stress granules). They are defined by specific molecular compositions, biophysical properties, and emergent functions such as energy transduction, macromolecular synthesis, intracellular trafficking, signal transduction, and mechanical support. As physical systems, they exhibit dynamic self-assembly, phase separation, and regulated turnover, and their organization is governed by principles of thermodynamics, molecular crowding, and active processes driven by nucleotide hydrolysis and cytoskeletal forces.
Exosomes, naturally derived vesicles responsible for intercellular communication, are emerging as next-generation drug delivery systems capable of transporting therapeutics to specific cells. However, their tightly packed, ...
Bio & Medicine
Aug 13, 2025
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62
In order to fulfill their many functions, proteins must be folded into the correct shape. Researchers at the University of Basel have now discovered tiny "folding factories" in cells that enable efficient and accurate protein ...
Cell & Microbiology
Aug 11, 2025
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44
In a process that is remarkably close to how we take out our household trash, every single cell in your body has the ability to wrap up any unwanted material in a double-membrane sack and send it to be degraded and recycled ...
Cell & Microbiology
Aug 7, 2025
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150
Gram-negative bacteria pose a significant threat to global health due to their high resistance to antibiotics compared to that of Gram-positive bacteria. Their formidable defensive capabilities stem from their outer membrane ...
Cell & Microbiology
Aug 5, 2025
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16
When we think about the blueprint of life, we tend to focus on DNA—the genetic code stored in every cell of our bodies. But DNA is only part of the story. For those instructions to matter, they must be read and turned into ...
Cell & Microbiology
Aug 5, 2025
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135
Cell membranes cradle, protect, and gatekeep living cells. Membranes can even affect how a cell behaves.
Bio & Medicine
Aug 1, 2025
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84
In eukaryotic cells, the nucleolus is the central site for ribosome biogenesis. It is composed of distinct subcompartments: fibrillar center (FC), dense fibrillar component (DFC), periphery of DFC (PDFC), and granular component ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 29, 2025
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20
Prof. Michael Murrell's group (lead author Zachary Gao Sun, graduate student in physics) in collaboration with Prof. Garegin Papoian's group from the University of Maryland at College Park has found critical phenomena (self-organized ...
General Physics
Jul 28, 2025
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52
A team led by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers has uncovered the atomic structure of a protein complex pivotal to the function of motile cilia, the hair-like structures extending from the surfaces of many cell types ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 23, 2025
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21
Many proteins are capable of spontaneously rearranging themselves within cells to form molecular condensates—membraneless intracellular structures formed by one or multiple proteins—through a process known as liquid–liquid ...
Biotechnology
Jul 18, 2025
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