https://phys.org/biology-news/molecular-computational/ en-us Medical Xpress provides the latest news on molecular and Computational biology A new study finds that plants respond to injury by actively redirecting sugars to damaged tissues, helping fuel the regeneration process. Using a fluorescent sensor to track sugar movement in living plants, researchers have discovered that wounds trigger a localized shift in energy transport, concentrating glucose around the injury site. The findings published in PNAS offer new insight into how plants coordinate repair and recovery and could help scientists better understand the mechanisms that support resilience in crops facing physical damage or environmental stress. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-energy-tissues.html Plants & Animals Mon, 15 Jun 2026 19:40:01 EDT news700761481 A new single-protein analysis technique gives researchers an unprecedented ability to study proteins called scramblases, which have critical roles in biology. The development of the new technique, in a study led by investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine and Ruhr University Bochum in Germany, expands the toolkit available to cell biologists and biophysicists and could someday be useful in devising new strategies against multiple diseases. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-imaging-technique-scramblase-proteins-revealing.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 15 Jun 2026 18:40:06 EDT news700759861 University of Mississippi researchers are studying how plants respond to heat at the molecular level, an important consideration for farmers, businesses and policymakers as global temperatures rise. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-reveal-backup-temperatures.html Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 15 Jun 2026 17:50:01 EDT news700762201 A molecular geneticist at Montana State University has discovered a cellular process once believed impossible by scientists—the creation of the amino acid cysteine within a living cell when the cell's primary systems for doing so fail. The discovery may one day lead to new cancer treatments. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-critical-cellular-discovery-treatment-cancers.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 15 Jun 2026 13:00:05 EDT news700742372 Prime editing can potentially repair the vast majority of known disease-causing human mutations, but the technology, first developed in 2019, has not yet been widely used in the body, or in vivo, to treat genetic disease. The only clinical application of prime editing that has been publicly announced uses the technology to edit cells outside the body before transplanting them back into the patient. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-scientists-aspect-prime-closer-genetic.html Biotechnology Mon, 15 Jun 2026 12:40:04 EDT news700736907 The same biological signals that help predict lifespan in humans also appear in dogs, according to new research from the Dog Aging Project—a finding that could help scientists better understand aging in both species. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-dogs-humans-alike-thought.html Molecular & Computational biology Sat, 13 Jun 2026 17:00:02 EDT news700146606 Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is considered one of the most urgent global public health threats, with experts predicting that AMR could cause 39 million deaths between 2025 and 2050. AMR is not a single problem, but instead involves many different genes, pathogens, hosts and environmental factors. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-flags-antimicrobial-resistance-traits.html Molecular & Computational biology Sat, 13 Jun 2026 11:00:01 EDT news700412712 In an advance that could one day lead to new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, Meredith Jackrel, an associate professor of chemistry in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, and her team have developed a method to rapidly produce and screen a class of disaggregase enzymes that can break down the misfolded proteins associated with ALS and Parkinson's disease. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-enzymes-potential-als-parkinson-disease.html Biotechnology Sat, 13 Jun 2026 08:00:08 EDT news700134722 Researchers at Princeton University have harnessed AI to understand how drugs affect the dynamics of vital structures within the cell, introducing a tool that can map the shape of these structures to functional outcomes and shed light on important markers of health. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ai-cell-droplets-uncovering-drug.html Molecular & Computational biology Sat, 13 Jun 2026 06:20:01 EDT news700547546 Pomacea canaliculata, commonly known as the apple snail, is a pest commonly found in Hong Kong's wetlands and farmlands. It feeds on aquatic plants and produces toxic pink egg masses resembling miniature grapes that adhere to plants or stone bunds. It is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) among 100 of the World's Worst Invasive Alien Species. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-jurassic-viral-gene-apple-snails.html Evolution Fri, 12 Jun 2026 15:40:01 EDT news700484088 The Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is a marvel of nature, a highly effective killer that doesn't have to move an inch to capture and kill its prey. It releases a fruity nectar scent to attract flies and other insects. After they land in the trap, tiny hairs are triggered and the leaves shut with impressive speed. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-venus-flytrap-snap-rapid-cell.html Plants & Animals Fri, 12 Jun 2026 10:11:47 EDT news700477872 Despite lacking brains or nervous systems, slime molds are capable of making surprisingly sophisticated decisions: navigating mazes, finding food and even remembering where they found it last time. How they manage to do all this without any neural architecture has long puzzled researchers. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-slime-molds-decisions-internal-fluid.html Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 12 Jun 2026 09:20:03 EDT news700412642 A new AI model has become so good at predicting how molecules evolve over time that, in the future, it could speed up the costly and time-consuming process of testing new drugs. In the long term, this technology could facilitate the development of medicines and new treatments, as promising drug candidates can be identified more quickly and with greater accuracy. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ai-fast-forwards-molecular-simulations.html Biotechnology Thu, 11 Jun 2026 18:20:01 EDT news700410781 A review article now published in Nature Reviews Genetics brings together evolutionary theory, comparative genomics and large-scale human genetics to explain why we age and why aging rates differ among individuals and species. The two authors—from the Leibniz Institute on Aging—Fritz Lipmann Institute (FLI) in Jena and University College London in London—describe how, because modern humans now routinely survive into old age, we live with the late-life consequences of biological pathways that natural selection optimized for youth and of harmful mutations that act too late in life for selection to clear them efficiently. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-shadow-longer-age-disease.html Evolution Thu, 11 Jun 2026 17:00:08 EDT news700409042 A new Yale-led study provides one of the most detailed and comprehensive analyses to date of genetic variation in human populations in Oceania, filling a major gap in representation in genomics research. Despite harboring remarkable diversity, populations in this vast region in the South Pacific historically have been overlooked in global human genetic studies, which have often focused largely on people of European descent, researchers say. The study is published in the journal Science. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-genomes-oceania-clues-human-evolution.html Evolution Thu, 11 Jun 2026 16:40:05 EDT news700413274 Researchers at the University of Greifswald have discovered a new mechanism by which bacteria such as Bacillus subtilis can regulate the production of the central metabolic molecule acetyl coenzyme A (Acetyl-CoA). Acetyl-CoA, also known as activated acetic acid, is crucial in the production of nutrients, i.e., proteins, carbohydrates and lipids, and thus plays a key role in the metabolism of all cells. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-bacteria-acetyl-coenzyme-block-formation.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 11 Jun 2026 16:20:07 EDT news700402801 Researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil have discovered 45 new toxins produced by Salmonella bacteria, some of which are associated with foodborne infections. The study was conducted at the Center for Research in Bacterial and Bacteriophage Biology (B3 RIDC) and was published in the journal PLOS Biology. It shows that these substances primarily act in competition among microorganisms for space and resources. The study also suggests that these substances may inspire the development of new antibiotics, in-depth studies in humans and biotechnological applications in the future. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-salmonella-genomes-reveal-previously-unknown.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 11 Jun 2026 15:40:06 EDT news700401841 Mycorrhizal fungi form underground networks that sustain plant life and help regulate Earth's climate by drawing carbon into soils. In a study published in Science, an international team of researchers produced the first global maps estimating the distribution and mass of the Earth's arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal networks. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-global-mycorrhizal-fungi-reveals-true.html Ecology Thu, 11 Jun 2026 14:00:09 EDT news700398301 Can networks of genes be stimulated using resonance? Researchers at the Niels Bohr Institute are investigating whether the protein p53, which activates a range of different genes, can be induced to communicate with the body's cells "on command." Perhaps resonance is the key to stimulating the body toward a new form of self-healing? https://phys.org/news/2026-06-p53-hour-rhythm-resonance-gene.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 10 Jun 2026 19:20:04 EDT news700323301 In the human body, the boundary between health and severe illness can be microscopic. For decades, molecular scientists have grappled with a frustrating biological reality: The proteins driving devastating diseases often look nearly identical to the ones keeping us alive. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-custom-protein-binders-identical-disease.html Biotechnology Wed, 10 Jun 2026 18:40:04 EDT news700322641 Rapidly intensifying global climate instability is causing increasingly erratic temperature fluctuations. When sudden cold snaps strike during a crop's critical flowering window, they trigger irreversible pollen abortion, slashing yields of staple crops by 20% to 60%. Passive defenses offer minimal protection at a high cost, while breeding for continuous cold resistance often backfires by wasting vital energy under normal temperatures. Shifting the breeding paradigm toward "on-demand" climate resilience—maintaining high yields in favorable seasons while securing stable performance under stress—is critical. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-cold-crops-demand-climate-resilience.html Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 10 Jun 2026 17:40:04 EDT news700321081 People communicate with each other, sometimes face to face, sometimes with a text message or phone call. Cells also communicate with each other, sometimes by touching and sometimes by sending signals across space and time. But while texts and phone calls can be traced to figure out who is talking to whom, determining which cell is talking to which is exceedingly difficult—until now. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-algorithm-visualizes-cells-tissue.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 10 Jun 2026 16:20:06 EDT news700316761 Researchers from Skoltech—a VEB.RF group institution—and their colleagues from the U.S. and China have explained how the antibiotic resistance gene established itself in the genome of the bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae. The findings could help control this widespread microbe, which can cause pneumonia, meningitis and other, often hospital-acquired, infections in patients with weakened immunity. The findings were reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-anti-crispr-proteins-hospital-infections.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 10 Jun 2026 16:00:03 EDT news700314481 RNA therapeutics have emerged as one of the most promising new classes of medicines. Eight small interfering RNA (siRNA) drugs have already been approved worldwide for the treatment of genetic diseases, yet scientists have not fully understood one of the most fundamental steps underlying their function: how Argonaute, the core protein responsible for gene silencing, becomes activated. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-argonaute-key-protein-rna-therapeutics.html Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 10 Jun 2026 11:00:12 EDT news700238702 An international group of scientists led by Josep M. Serra-Diaz, researcher at the Botanical Institute of Barcelona (IBB, CSIC-MCNB), has developed the first global early warning system capable of forecasting when and where vertebrate species will be exposed to unprecedented heat up to nine months in advance. The study, published in Nature Climate Change, demonstrates how operational climate prediction tools can be repurposed to anticipate biological risks in near-real time, providing the kind of foresight needed as extreme heat events intensify worldwide. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-wildlife-months.html Ecology Tue, 09 Jun 2026 17:50:01 EDT news700243862 Proteins are how cells get work done. They carry out nearly every important cellular task, from ferrying messages to controlling which genes are turned on or off. And in order for proteins to perform their various roles, the strings of amino acids that make them up need to be folded into the correct shape. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-scientists-uncover-rna-hidden-role.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 09 Jun 2026 16:40:05 EDT news700234098 Sloths are the slowest mammals on the planet, but living in dense jungles has made them notoriously difficult to study. For the first time, scientists have now sequenced and analyzed the two-toed sloth genome and revealed the genetics behind its extremely slow metabolism. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-sloths-dna.html Evolution Tue, 09 Jun 2026 12:00:03 EDT news700222262 Rhodoliths may look like small rocks on the seafloor, but they are actually living algae that create habitats for marine life and contribute to long-term carbon storage. A new study found that the deeper, low-light waters off Japan's Tanegashima Island harbor a surprisingly distinct and diverse community of these living pink rocks, including four species completely new to science. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-underwater-pink-carbon-scientists-species.html Ecology Tue, 09 Jun 2026 09:48:35 EDT news700217282 A drug once dismissed as ineffective suddenly worked—when scientists tested it under more realistic conditions that mimic the human body. In this surprising new discovery, Northwestern University scientists uncovered a hidden rule of drug behavior. A medicine's effectiveness can change dramatically depending on the conditions inside our cells. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-drugs-unrealistic-conditions-scientists.html Biotechnology Tue, 09 Jun 2026 09:40:03 EDT news700213922 Similar to the way DNA damage can contribute to human diseases such as cancer, it can also disrupt growth, development and survival in plants. Every day, plants endure environmental stresses such as sunlight, radiation, drought and soil stress—all of which can damage their DNA. However, they cannot move away from danger. How do plants handle all that damage? https://phys.org/news/2026-06-survive-constant-dna-newly-protein.html Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 08 Jun 2026 19:30:01 EDT news700157401