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.
Scientists at EPFL have developed CenSpark, a fluorescent probe that makes centrioles and cilia visible inside living cells, helping researchers study cell division, development, and immunity like never before.
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 25, 2026
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How do cells know when to activate or slow down their activity? A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) provides new insights by studying TORC2, an essential but still poorly understood protein complex. Using ultra-high-resolution ...
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 23, 2026
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20
Researchers at Umeå University have turned a protein from soil bacteria into a potential new weapon against colorectal cancer. Their study published in Cell Death Discovery shows how an engineered bacterial protein can trigger ...
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 22, 2026
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Cells constantly probe their environments, searching for physical cues that guide their behavior. And yet a cell's response to its environment is always biochemical, mediated by the chemistry of its internal protein machinery. ...
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 22, 2026
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49
The science of memories has been pursued and studied since the days of ancient Greece and Aristotle. Today, research conducted by Dima Bolmatov, assistant professor in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at Texas Tech University, ...
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 21, 2026
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24
Researchers at Durham have helped unlock a new understanding of how bacteria import antimicrobial peptides—the molecules that can kill or inhibit microbes. The research sheds new light on SbmA, a key transporter protein found ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Apr 21, 2026
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8
Researchers at Umeå University have identified two human cell proteins, NUP98 and NUP153, that play a crucial role in how viruses such as tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), West Nile virus, and dengue virus replicate in ...
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 21, 2026
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Scientists have uncovered a novel mechanism through which skin cells organize and control protein production during homeostasis and wound healing, according to a new study published in Developmental Cell. The findings offer ...
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 20, 2026
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A quiet revolution is underway in modern medicine: Drug development is aiming to move from managing disease to correcting it through RNA and gene-editing therapies. But delivering these treatments safely and precisely to ...
Bio & Medicine
Apr 17, 2026
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132
Weill Cornell Medicine investigators have revealed the detailed workings of a cell membrane protein that has essential roles in all animals. The discovery could lead to new therapeutic strategies for blood coagulation disorders, ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Apr 17, 2026
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