https://phys.org/biology-news/molecular-computational/ en-us Medical Xpress provides the latest news on molecular and Computational biology In the past several years, Rockefeller University's Kivanç Birsoy and his team in the Laboratory of Metabolic Regulation and Genetics have revealed remarkable details about the antioxidant glutathione, which plays many essential roles in the body, from clearing free radicals to repairing cellular damage. Among other things, they've discovered the transporter that shuttles glutathione to where it's needed, how glutathione keeps iron levels in check, and the metabolite's complicated relationship with mitochondria, the energy center of the cell, where it both keeps the lights on yet can drive the metastasis of breast cancer. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-antioxidant-glutathione-play-key-role.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 17 Apr 2026 16:00:01 EDT news695651461 A newly designed AI-powered tool is effective in developing treatments to attack antibiotic-resistant bacteria by breaking down their outer defenses, according to new research from Houston Methodist. The study, published in Nature Communications and led by Eleftherios Mylonakis, M.D., Ph.D., chair, Houston Methodist Charles W. Duncan Jr. Department of Medicine, details how researchers used the tool to identify antimicrobial peptides—small proteins that are part of the body's natural immune system—that effectively targeted bacteria like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in lab tests. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ai-powered-tool-treatments-antibiotic.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:40:01 EDT news695645102 An emerging type of artificial intelligence, known as "agentic" AI, seems to do everything that biomedical scientists do—and often, does it faster. This next-generation technology can interpret experimental data, report the results and make decisions on its own. But is agentic AI smart enough to replace actual scientists? https://phys.org/news/2026-04-qa-agentic-ai-human-scientists.html Biotechnology Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:00:04 EDT news695644443 A greater focus on roots during plant breeding could ensure staple grain crops continue to feed the world as recycled nutrients substitute conventional fertilizers in the future, a University of Queensland study published in npj Sustainable Agriculture has found. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-modern-crops-lazy-underground-sorghum.html Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:40:01 EDT news695638205 A sprinkle of nutmeg powder on baked goodies or mashed potatoes can immediately lift the flavor with its warm and sweet aroma. Even though it is used globally, not much is known about the true origins of the nutmeg spice tree, Myristica fragrans. In an attempt to retrace evolutionary history, researchers traveled to five different islands in the Moluccas archipelago, Indonesia, traditionally known as the Spice Islands and collected leaves from 393 nutmeg trees to analyze their DNA. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-dna-nutmeg-hidden-revealing-south.html Plants & Animals Fri, 17 Apr 2026 09:40:03 EDT news695636402 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, cancers and other conditions in which the protein, called a TMEM16 scramblase, works abnormally. Scramblases operate within cell membranes, where they alter or "scramble" the normal layered arrangement of lipid molecules—an essential step in many biological processes. The scramblase TMEM16F also works as an ion channel, allowing small, charged molecules such as potassium or chloride ions through the membrane. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-scramblase-pave-blood-disorder-cancer.html Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 17 Apr 2026 05:00:01 EDT news695572430 Humans adjust to changes in temperature by putting on a sweater or taking off layers. Plants adjust to temperature changes, in part, by switching the way they express the protein that performs the critical first step of photosynthesis, according to new research from Cornell, Texas A&M and Stockholm University. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-temperature-shifts-proteins-power-photosynthesis.html Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 16 Apr 2026 17:30:02 EDT news695574601 Cells are enveloped by a lipid membrane that gives them structure and provides a barrier between the cell and its environment. However, evidence has recently emerged suggesting that these membranes do more than simply provide protection—they also influence the behavior of the protein receptors embedded in them. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-cancer-hidden-cell-membrane-growth.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 16 Apr 2026 17:10:01 EDT news695574421 Investigating a common gene in three very different species—salamanders, mice and zebrafish—scientists have discovered the potential for a novel gene therapy aimed at eventually regrowing limbs in humans, according to new research published this week. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-regrowing-human-limbs-salamander-gene.html Biotechnology Thu, 16 Apr 2026 14:40:07 EDT news695562421 Biological tissues have a remarkable ability to organize and change shape, driven by forces generated by their own cells. One of the major challenges in bioengineering is harnessing this natural behavior to design synthetic living materials capable of adopting predetermined shapes. However, precisely controlling how a tissue behaves and directing its internal forces to adopt the desired shape remains a significant scientific challenge. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-scientists-shifting-tissue-cells-flat.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 16 Apr 2026 14:00:05 EDT news695548261 From the ability to detect the smell of wet soil to the scent of ripe fruit, the human olfactory system has evolved over thousands of years in response to how people live and what they eat, according to a new genetic study of Indigenous populations in Malaysia. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-human-evolved-diets-lifestyle-genetic.html Evolution Thu, 16 Apr 2026 11:00:09 EDT news695473502 Scientists from Skoltech and the University of Potsdam have developed a physical theory that sheds light on how molecular motors organize the three-dimensional structure of the genome. Using theoretical polymer physics and computer simulations, the researchers for the first time calculated a universal parameter of this organization—the density of loops formed through active extrusion by cohesin motors in each living cell. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-polymer-physics-reveals-dna-loops.html Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 16 Apr 2026 10:20:06 EDT news695551217 Research has shed important new light on the enemies-turned-allies that allow bacteria to exchange genes, including those linked to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The insights, which expand our understanding of the major global health threat of AMR, came as John Innes Center researchers investigated the curious phenomena of gene transfer agents (GTAs). https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ancient-viruses-gene-delivery-couriers.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 16 Apr 2026 05:00:17 EDT news695483581 An international group of scientists mapped the spread of the current dominant strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus through North American bird populations in 2024. Led by scientists from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the collaboration provides a comprehensive view of this novel flu spreading through birds in North America. The investigators collected and sequenced samples from birds across the continent, letting them map the virus's spread. They also compared the virus from birds to those causing human infections, showing that current human vaccine stockpiles will likely work well against both. Closer evaluation of the viruses led the researchers to classify them as low risk for human-to-human spread in their current form. The study was published today in Nature Medicine. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-emerging-alaska-dominant-h5n1-strain.html Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 15 Apr 2026 17:00:07 EDT news695486799 Placing small stones in a bug cage is beneficial when raising pill bugs, a type of woodlouse. Researchers at the University of Tsukuba have discovered that pill bugs do not directly incorporate ingested calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) minerals into their tergite cuticles. Instead, they undergo an energetically costly process to reconstruct these minerals within their bodies before forming their tergite cuticles. This finding helps explain how organisms biologically control mineral formation. The research is published in the Journal of Structural Biology. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-pill-bugs-dont-minerals-rebuild.html Plants & Animals Wed, 15 Apr 2026 14:20:07 EDT news695473622 Cancer cells excel at evading detection, but subtle chemical differences set them apart from healthy cells. Now, a team of scientists from Wageningen University & Research and Van Andel Institute has identified a way to exploit this distinction. Using a variant of CRISPR, a modern tool for editing DNA, they distinguished tumor DNA from healthy DNA and selectively cut only the former. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-crispr-variant-tumor-dna.html Biotechnology Wed, 15 Apr 2026 13:20:03 EDT news695472722 A massive study of ancient DNA from nearly 16,000 people across more than 10,000 years in West Eurasia reveals that natural selection has shaped modern human genomes far more than previously thought. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-farming-ancient-dna-reveals-natural.html Evolution Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:00:09 EDT news695381445 Animal communication can look wildly different—flashing lights, chirping calls, croaking songs and elaborate dances. But new research from Northwestern University suggests many of these signals share a surprising feature: They repeat at nearly the same tempo. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-nature-universal-rhythm.html Ecology Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:20:09 EDT news695461382 An international team led by researchers at QUT has used artificial intelligence to create tiny "smart" proteins that switch on only when they detect a chosen target. Published in Nature Biotechnology, the research opens the way to a new generation of low-cost biosensors for medicine, environmental monitoring and biotechnology. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-scientists-ai-generated-proteins-smart.html Biotechnology Wed, 15 Apr 2026 05:00:02 EDT news695395801 Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev have identified simple rules that explain how complex protein structures assemble correctly and remain functional over time, despite having many theoretically possible configurations. The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, focuses on bacterioferritin, a bacterial protein complex responsible for safely storing iron. Unlike simpler protein assemblies made of identical parts, many bacterioferritins are built from two different types of subunits, each with a distinct role. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-simple-proteins-evolve.html Evolution Tue, 14 Apr 2026 17:40:06 EDT news695395621 The CRISPR-Cas gene-editing system has long been the focus of research as a promising tool in genome editing. However, the emphasis has been on its underlying mechanisms and nucleases. In contrast, little research has examined how CRISPR-Cas systems have evolved and been optimized. In collaboration with the universities of Leipzig, Freiburg, and Michigan (U.S.), a research team at the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI) in Würzburg found an optimization mechanism in CRISPR-Cas13, providing insights into the evolution of these systems. The results were recently published in The EMBO Journal. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-built-hairpin-mechanism-crispr-cas13.html Evolution Tue, 14 Apr 2026 15:40:06 EDT news695388602 Parasites are a major global health problem, underlying many human diseases worldwide. For example, Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite responsible for malaria, plays a well-established role; however, its complex life cycle is not yet fully understood. This includes how parasites exit the infected host cells, known as "egress." https://phys.org/news/2026-04-parasites-host-cells-mic11-exposing.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 14 Apr 2026 14:00:04 EDT news695385781 Life moves in mysterious ways—and perhaps especially so for organisms that undergo dramatic shifts in levels of self-organization, such as Myxococcus xanthus. A custom-built artificial intelligence system developed by Rice University researchers helped uncover how bacterial communities organize themselves, showing that the earliest moments of a biological transition carry far more information than previously considered. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ai-hidden-behavior-patterns-bacteria.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 14 Apr 2026 10:20:09 EDT news695376302 A research team has discovered an enhanced CRISPR gene-editing system that could enable targeted delivery inside the human body—a key step toward broader clinical use. Researchers identified a naturally occurring enzyme, Al3Cas12f, that is small enough to fit into adeno-associated virus vectors, a leading targeted delivery method for gene therapies. They then engineered an enhanced version that dramatically improved gene-editing performance in human cells. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-compact-crispr-body-gene-efficiency.html Biotechnology Mon, 13 Apr 2026 19:20:02 EDT news695313181 Cells can be thought of as cities, with factories, a transport system, and lots of building activity. An international team led by scientists at the University of Groningen studied cells growing under different conditions and measured the speed of molecule transport. They found that some conditions led to changes in the mobility inside the cells, caused by the clustering of proteins that produce the building materials for growth. It could be that clustering enables the proteins to produce those building blocks more efficiently. The research is published in the journal Molecular Cell. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-protein-clusters-reshape-cell-movement.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 13 Apr 2026 19:10:01 EDT news695318641 Scientists at the VIB–VUB Center for Structural Biology have uncovered a counterintuitive principle that could reshape how membrane proteins are designed from scratch: Sometimes, making a protein less stable helps it fold correctly. In their study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers demonstrate that introducing carefully placed "imperfections," a strategy known as negative design, enables synthetic membrane proteins to fold and assemble efficiently in artificial membranes. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-membrane-proteins-embracing-imperfection.html Biotechnology Mon, 13 Apr 2026 18:40:01 EDT news695312581 A specific cellular mechanism regulates the protein balance of plants, thereby influencing how they respond to environmental stress. An international research team led by Dr. Markus Wirtz at the Center for Organismal Studies of Heidelberg University has identified a particular protein complex that plays a key role in that process by dynamically controlling the degradation and recycling of proteins. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-protein-tagging-complex-stress-survival.html Plants & Animals Mon, 13 Apr 2026 17:30:01 EDT news695316782 Weill Cornell Medicine researchers have found that temporarily disabling a protein complex that organizes DNA into loops inside the cell's nucleus drastically disrupted the three-dimensional structure of the genome, but surprisingly, most genes continued to function as usual. However, they also discovered a small group of affected genes that play a critical role in guiding cells to become specific types, for example, heart, brain, or liver cells. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-disrupting-genome-architecture-impairs-developmental.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 13 Apr 2026 17:10:01 EDT news695316301 It has long been known that environmental conditions can shape how traits are inherited, a phenomenon known as transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. However, the molecular signals responsible for encoding this biological "memory" have remained largely unknown. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-vitamin-b12-inherited-behavioral-generations.html Evolution Mon, 13 Apr 2026 16:50:02 EDT news695315761 Isolating the first spark of life on Earth is a matter of biology, geology, and chemistry—but it's also an amazing math problem. At least, that's how Varun Varanasi viewed it when he was a Yale undergraduate. The question, in a nutshell, is this: How did the primordial soup of interacting molecules on the Earth's surface billions of years ago transform itself from complete chaos to an organized system of self-sustaining, reproducing chemicals? Did this occur gradually over millions of years, or was it abrupt? https://phys.org/news/2026-04-math-reveals-life-earth-primordial.html Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 13 Apr 2026 16:20:06 EDT news695314729