https://phys.org/biology-news/molecular-computational/ en-us Medical Xpress provides the latest news on molecular and Computational biology If your car's engine develops a stutter, that's generally a sign that you should go to a mechanic before it stops running. We tend to think the same way about our bodies: When something's broken, something bad usually follows. There might, however, be at least one exception to this rule. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-longer-mitochondrial-defects-worms-calcium.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 30 Sep 2026 15:30:01 EDT news709997401 The bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis is one of the most common causes of sexually transmitted infections worldwide. Biologically, it is regarded as a highly specialized "nutrient thief": Because chlamydia have lost the ability to reproduce independently outside a host cell, they hijack human metabolic products—particularly sphingolipids—for their own development. Within the host cell, they create a sheltered environment known as an inclusion. These bacterial colonies often grow so large that they exceed the size of the human host cell's nucleus. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-chlamydia-dna-lipids-revealing-blocking.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 30 Sep 2026 14:20:01 EDT news709984141 Biodegradable films made from engineered honeybee silk could form the basis of a new generation of "smart" wound dressings, according to researchers at CSIRO and Adelaide University. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-honeybee-silk-power-smarter-wound.html Biotechnology Wed, 30 Sep 2026 13:00:06 EDT news709981381 Engineers have developed a new approach for turning ordinary water into a weapon against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, according to a study published in the journal Chem Catalysis. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-crystals-dna-molecules-potentially-curbing.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 30 Sep 2026 11:00:50 EDT news709920721 Mention cholesterol, and most people will think of clogged arteries or health warnings. But inside the microscopic universe of the human cell, cholesterol has a drastically different job description as an indispensable cellular lifesaver. A study led by the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine) at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), shows how cells rapidly dispatch cholesterol to reinforce their "recycling centers" called lysosomes, preventing them from bursting while breaking down worn-out cellular machinery. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-cell-chain-cholesterol-cellular-recycling.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 30 Sep 2026 09:17:03 EDT news709978511 Plants cannot run away when the wind picks up, rain lashes down or a hungry herbivore begins chewing on their leaves. Instead, they must sense their surroundings and adapt. Now, researchers have uncovered an important piece of the puzzle of what happens inside plants when they are exposed to touch, injury or other physical stimuli. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-protein-cascade.html Plants & Animals Tue, 29 Sep 2026 16:50:01 EDT news709917481 Landing on a moving target is a challenge for all flying animals. For bumblebees, a flower swaying in the wind creates an erratic landing pad. Reaching it means matching its sideways motion while continuing to face it. When the bee turns in flight, its view of the flower changes, which complicates the feat. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-bumblebees-wont-stay.html Plants & Animals Tue, 29 Sep 2026 06:40:02 EDT news709821559 In acute, life-threatening infections, rapidly characterizing the microorganisms in a patient sample can help guide diagnosis and treatment. Computational methods known as taxonomic profilers can analyze metagenome sequencing data generated from the microorganisms' genomic information and compare it with reference genomes of individual microorganisms. However, taxonomic profilers are still under development and are not yet in common use. Current methods can produce false-positive results or inaccurate abundance estimates. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-microbial-dna-scarce-profiling-method.html Biotechnology Mon, 28 Sep 2026 20:00:01 EDT news709827486 One of biology's fundamental questions is how our genes shape who we are. Adrian Serohijos and Stephen Michnick, professors in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine at Université de Montréal's Faculty of Medicine, are studying the relationship between genotype and phenotype—that is, how DNA becomes RNA, then protein, and ultimately gives rise to observable characteristics in an individual or any other living organism. "We're trying to unravel the mechanisms of the genome, specifically how the information it encodes is processed inside the cell," Serohijos says. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-social-network-proteins-cell-genes.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 28 Sep 2026 17:40:02 EDT news709824842 Changes in rainfall can trigger increases in rodent populations and subsequent spikes in infection, new research has found, revealing how a changing climate could have consequences for human health. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-climate-deadly-rodent-borne-diseases.html Ecology Mon, 28 Sep 2026 17:30:01 EDT news709832941 Viruses such as influenza A and dengue can hijack a cellular system that helps manage protein aggregates. Previous work by FMI emeritus group leader Patrick Matthias and his team showed that a small protein called ubiquitin plays an important role in this process. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-tool-tracks-hidden-protein-involved.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 28 Sep 2026 15:40:06 EDT news709824061 Every cell in an organism contains the same DNA, which carries all the instructions needed for it to function. Yet cells do not all use the same genes: A nerve cell, for example, does not activate the same genes as a muscle cell. Epigenetics refers to the mechanisms that allow gene activity to be modulated without changing the DNA sequence. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-worm-reveal-epigenetic-effects-persist.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 28 Sep 2026 10:20:18 EDT news709806181 Tiny, striped zebrafish are helping scientists trace how a gene linked to albinism influences eye development, work that may ultimately help explain some of the vision problems experienced by people with the condition and guide the search for new treatments. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-zebrafish-reveal-wider-role-gene.html Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 28 Sep 2026 09:00:21 EDT news709804563 A new study from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) has identified a molecular switch that controls whether stressed human cells activate a survival mechanism or trigger programmed cell death (apoptosis). The findings, published in Redox Biology, provide insights that could help overcome chemotherapy resistance in aggressive tumors. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-molecular-destruct-stressed-cells-survival.html Cell & Microbiology Sat, 26 Sep 2026 08:00:07 EDT news709472577 Before the parasite Toxoplasma gondii can invade a cell, it has to know it has reached the right place. New research from the Whitehead Institute reveals that the parasite doesn't simply recognize a ready-made doorway into the cell. Instead, it helps create the conditions for its own entry. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-parasites-host-cells-invasion.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 25 Sep 2026 17:40:01 EDT news709560661 Removing a single amino acid can determine whether new proteins assemble into stable complexes within mitochondria. An enzyme carries out this precise trimming at the start of mitochondrial proteins. Without it, numerous protein complexes lose their stability, according to a study led by Dr. Nora Vögtle of Heidelberg University and Dr. Pitter Huesgen of the University of Freiburg. In their work published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, the scientists identified a previously unknown mechanism by which human cells maintain the balance of proteins in their mitochondria. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-mitochondrial-protein-complexes-amino-acid.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 25 Sep 2026 17:00:01 EDT news709555321 After taking a pill, the drugs it contains are distributed throughout the body, reaching the tissues and cells affected by disease and performing their intended function. However, they also enter healthy cells, where they often cause more harm than good. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-natural-proteins-ingredients-diseased-cells.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 25 Sep 2026 16:20:05 EDT news709554721 Modern technologies have made it possible to uncover a growing "hidden proteome"—proteins encoded by parts of the genome that researchers previously overlooked. Advances in sequencing and protein analysis are making it possible to find more of these potential proteins and investigate what they do. Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have now identified one such protein. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-previously-overlooked-protein-cells.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 25 Sep 2026 14:20:05 EDT news709551241 When plant roots are injured—by insects, for example—the pressure inside the root drops, and a pressure wave spreads rapidly throughout the root system. In neighboring roots, tiny proteins that act as mechanical pressure sensors detect the change and generate electrical and calcium signals. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-root-injuries-unleash-pressure-distances.html Plants & Animals Fri, 25 Sep 2026 14:00:18 EDT news709557902 Medical researchers, clinicians and pharmaceutical scientists often study small molecules called metabolites, which are produced in living cells through a variety of processes, including the breakdown of food, chemicals or drugs. This area of study is known as metabolomics, and it can be used to identify new signs of disease, measure the effectiveness of medical treatment or study how diet and nutrition affect the body. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-molecular-network-resource-unknown-compounds.html Biotechnology Fri, 25 Sep 2026 13:20:12 EDT news709550401 Scientists have often thought of cells as small, bustling cities with parts that resemble factories, power grids and shipping systems. While past research has illuminated the individual components of these cell cities, scientists haven't had the tools to probe more deeply into how those elements interact. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-3d-images-reveal-bacterial-cells.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 25 Sep 2026 11:00:01 EDT news709546572 Scientists at Cornell University have found a human genetic element in a poxvirus and discovered that it is both an important gene for brain function and a jumping gene capable of moving and inserting itself into genomes. A study published in Science reports that the gene, called BC200, combines characteristics never before seen together. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-human-gene-poxvirus.html Evolution Fri, 25 Sep 2026 09:40:01 EDT news709544957 A cell's ability to repair its damaged DNA is one of the most fundamental processes in biology, helping protect us from diseases like cancer. Over the years, researchers have unraveled many of the mechanisms cells use to repair DNA, ultimately leading to precision cancer treatments. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-cells-machinery-dna.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 24 Sep 2026 16:40:11 EDT news709467781 Researchers at the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Baker Institute of Animal Health have published the first molecular characterization of Marfan syndrome in domestic cats in a paper in the Sept. 19 issue of Scientific Reports. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-case-marfan-syndrome-feline-siblings.html Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 24 Sep 2026 16:20:08 EDT news709467367 Tiny insects called aphids inject hundreds of mysterious proteins into plants, hijacking the plants' own genomes to build galls: structures made of plant tissue but constructed to the insects' specifications to house and feed their offspring. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-blueprint-aphid-proteins-ai.html Plants & Animals Thu, 24 Sep 2026 16:10:01 EDT news709481221 About 66 million years ago, the asteroid that ended the age of the dinosaurs paved the way for a spectacular expansion of new animal species. During this period, ants rose to ecological dominance. Today, they form the largest family of social insects, with more than 15,000 species worldwide. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-genes-ants-evolutionary-triumph-extinction.html Evolution Thu, 24 Sep 2026 11:40:15 EDT news709460406 Every step we take begins with a burst of calcium inside our muscle cells, causing them to contract. To prepare for action, the cells keep calcium locked in an internal compartment, the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Studding its membrane are thousands of RyR1 channels—the largest known ion channels—that contain pores that release the calcium. For a muscle to contract properly, RyR1 channels must open synchronously via a mechanism known as "coupled gating." How they accomplish this has been unclear since it was described almost 30 years ago. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-calcium-channels-muscle-cells.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 24 Sep 2026 05:00:08 EDT news709397075 U.S. artificial intelligence startup Anthropic on Wednesday unveiled the first discovery from its molecular biology lab, a previously unknown enzyme system spotted by its Claude model and touted by the company as proof that AI can speed up basic research. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-anthropic-touts-ai-biology-discovery.html Biotechnology Thu, 24 Sep 2026 04:40:01 EDT news709442390 Every time a cell divides, its chromosomes must be distributed correctly between the two daughter cells. Central to this process is the centromere, a specialized region of the chromosome. The centromere serves as the attachment site for the cellular machinery that pulls the chromosomes apart. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-ancient-genome-function-persists-frequent.html Evolution Wed, 23 Sep 2026 16:40:01 EDT news709393982 According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 10 million people contract tuberculosis (TB) each year. It is one of the deadliest infectious diseases worldwide. Treatment is lengthy and typically involves a combination of several antibiotics over many months. Drug-resistant strains are particularly problematic because the antibiotics used against them are only partially effective. New compounds capable of overcoming existing resistance are urgently needed. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-natural-compound-soil-bacteria-approach.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 23 Sep 2026 14:40:04 EDT news709384038