https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. University of Wollongong (UOW) scientists have uncovered, for the first time, exactly how two of the cell's "helper" proteins operate as a rescue crew for misfolded proteins, a discovery that sheds new light on the molecular breakdown that underpins neurodegenerative diseases. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-scientists-molecule-cell-helpers-problem.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 03 Aug 2026 10:20:03 EDT news704970302 The octopus is a biological oddity. It can use tools, open jars, and its complex nervous system supports as many neurons as a small primate. Now Harvard biologists have discovered a mysterious distinction in octopuses' core biology: Some octopuses have an unusual adaptation in the protein-making machinery of their cells that helps ensure accuracy, perhaps an evolutionary byproduct of their acute sensory system. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-biology-cells-octopus-sleeve.html Plants & Animals Wed, 29 Jul 2026 11:00:10 EDT news704447041 There are countless cultures and societies around the world, spanning thousands of years. One thing they all have in common is that death is a part of everybody's life. Examining how different societies commemorate their dead can give archaeologists and anthropologists insight into how those societies work and what matters to them. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-exploring-societies-world-longer-dead.html Archaeology Mon, 27 Jul 2026 08:00:37 EDT news704118781 Researchers at the University of Twente have developed an optical method that follows the shape changes of a single protein in liquid without attaching anything to it. It reads the protein's structure from its own molecular vibrations, free from the labels or tags that other techniques rely on. The method could help researchers study how proteins respond to drugs, toxins and other biomolecules. The paper is published in the journal ACS Nano. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-optical-method-proteins-shift.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 22 Jul 2026 15:20:01 EDT news703943222 Protein aggregates are associated with the development of diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. These are found more often in certain areas of cells known as membraneless organelles. Do these organelles promote this protein clumping, or do they protect the cell by temporarily absorbing the aggregates? Professor Simon Ebbinghaus and Mailin Becker from Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, set out to answer this question with their new, self-developed method, "confocal Fast Relaxation Imaging," or cFReI. They report their findings in the journal PRX Life. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-cell-imaging-method-protein-organelles.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 20 Jul 2026 18:00:03 EDT news703782421 Cells sitting side by side in the same tissues are not identical. Each cell carries its own subtly different chemical signature—a hidden individuality that can reveal how diseases take root and spread. Now, researchers from the University of Osaka have developed a technique sensitive enough to capture this cell-by-cell diversity within tissues with unprecedented precision and stability. Their study is published in the journal Analytical Chemistry. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-probe-alzheimer-linked-lipids-cell.html Biochemistry Wed, 08 Jul 2026 21:20:02 EDT news702724793 Picture a mouse taking rapid, staccato sniffs of a crumb it's found while foraging for food. Now compare that with a human leaning in for a single, deep inhale to gauge whether a cantaloupe is ripe. New research from Northwestern University has found that, like humans, mice also can take a single sniff to deliberately probe their environment—something scientists previously did not know. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-mammals-underlying-evolution.html Plants & Animals Fri, 03 Jul 2026 14:00:06 EDT news702203566 Deep within the dark caves of northeastern Mexico lives a fish that has spent hundreds of thousands of years adapting to a world without light. The blind Mexican cavefish (Astyanax mexicanus) has evolved in perpetual darkness, losing its eyes and pigmentation while developing remarkable adaptations that help it survive in nutrient-poor environments. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-darkness-mexican-cavefish-illuminate-brain.html Evolution Wed, 24 Jun 2026 18:20:03 EDT news701531806 A delivery system that uses lipid nanoparticles to sneak proteins into cells can accomplish the same feat by smuggling therapeutic antibodies, new research has found. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-nanoparticles-antibodies-cells-inhibit-cancer.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 23 Jun 2026 17:50:01 EDT news701453522 Neural interfaces are devices that can detect or modulate neuronal activity when placed in contact with the brain. They are already used to treat various conditions related to the nervous system. However, current technologies still have limitations that can reduce their effectiveness. One example is their unidirectional function. While most existing interfaces can stimulate the brain, they cannot accurately detect or decode brain activity simultaneously. Even when they can do so, they often face limitations in the detection of certain signals, particularly those at very low frequencies. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-flexible-graphene-based-neural-interface.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 16 Jun 2026 18:10:01 EDT news700844882 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 Inside every human cell, a tiny structure called a lysosome acts like a recycling center, breaking down toxic waste, clearing damaged proteins and helping keep the cell functioning properly. When that recycling center stops working because the lysosome loses the acidic conditions it needs to function, the consequences ripple outward. Waste builds up, proteins accumulate and eventually the cell's internal systems begin to break down. This type of dysfunction is commonly associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-acidic-nanoparticles-parkinson-cellular-source.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 10 Jun 2026 11:20:04 EDT news700305361 Cell function is determined by how DNA is expressed into proteins. That process includes two main steps—transcription, when messenger RNA (mRNA) makes copies of active genes; and translation, when mRNA guides protein assembly. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-brain-gene-revealed-noninvasively-programmable.html Biotechnology Mon, 01 Jun 2026 17:50:03 EDT news699551881 Florida State University chemists have synthesized new molecules derived from bacteria found in a Pacific Ocean sea sponge, a breakthrough for the future of drug development, particularly for rare forms of cancer. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-chemists-sea-sponge-bacteria-molecules.html Biochemistry Tue, 19 May 2026 16:20:05 EDT news698420435 In every organism, the regulation of cell populations is a constant process. This balance relies on a continuous interplay between "guardian" proteins that promote cell survival and "killer" proteins that trigger programmed cell death, known as apoptosis. Any disruption of this balance can lead to diseases such as cancer. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-decoding-life-death-proteins.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 19 May 2026 13:00:02 EDT news698408941 A drug to treat Parkinson's disease can be made from waste plastic bottles using a pioneering method, a study shows. The approach harnesses the power of bacteria to transform post-consumer plastic into L-DOPA, a frontline medication for the neurological disorder. It is the first time a natural, biological process has been engineered to turn plastic waste into a therapeutic for a neurological disease, researchers say. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-plastic-bottles-parkinson-drug-bacteria.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 16 Mar 2026 06:00:03 EDT news692627939 Intracellular protein trafficking and secretion of proteins into the extracellular environment are sequential and tightly regulated processes in eukaryotic cells. Conventionally, proteins that are bound for secretion harbor an N-terminal signal peptide that guides their movement from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and Golgi apparatus to the exterior of the cell. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-autophagy-lysosomal-pathways-orchestrate-unconventional.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 23 May 2025 08:29:05 EDT news667207742 In Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and type 2 diabetes, harmful protein aggregates and deposits, known as amyloid plaques, develop. There is also much evidence that these three diseases are interconnected and mutually reinforcing. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-protein-aggregation-synthetic-peptides-basis.html Biochemistry Thu, 24 Apr 2025 08:16:03 EDT news664701362 An international research collaboration led by Rutgers University-New Brunswick scientists that examined microscopic blobs of protein found in human cells has discovered that some morph from an almost honey-like substance to a hard candy-like solid. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-scientists-reveal-protein-linked-parkinson.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 18 Apr 2025 14:00:03 EDT news664167770 Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, primarily characterized by motor dysfunction. Its pathological hallmark is the abnormal aggregation of α-synuclein (α-syn) into insoluble fibrils and Lewy bodies, leading to the degeneration and death of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra of the midbrain. https://phys.org/news/2025-01-nanoparticles-neurons-parkinson-wireless-brain.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 16 Jan 2025 11:13:04 EST news656248382 Is it possible for nanoparticles to go through the digestive system and deliver medicine directly to the brain tissue? Researchers from Michigan State University say yes, and their latest findings are expected to benefit patients with neurodegenerative disorders like multiple sclerosis, or MS; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS; and Parkinson's disease, or PD. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-standards-nanoparticles-patients-ms-als.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 19 Apr 2024 12:31:23 EDT news632748680 Researchers led by Northwestern University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison have introduced a pioneering approach aimed at combating neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). https://phys.org/news/2024-02-undruggable-proteins-approach-neurodegenerative-diseases.html Bio & Medicine Sun, 18 Feb 2024 10:34:39 EST news627474860 University of Minnesota Twin Cities researchers have developed a new diagnostic technique that will allow for faster and more accurate detection of neurodegenerative diseases. The method will likely open a door for earlier treatment and mitigation of various diseases that affect humans, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, and similar diseases that affect animals, such as chronic wasting disease (CWD). https://phys.org/news/2023-05-technique-rapid-neurodegenerative-diseases-parkinson.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 08 May 2023 14:02:48 EDT news602773364 Organic chemists at UCLA have created the first synthetic version of a molecule recently discovered in a sea sponge that may have therapeutic benefits for Parkinson's disease and similar disorders. The molecule, known as lissodendoric acid A, appears to counteract other molecules that can damage DNA, RNA and proteins and even destroy whole cells. https://phys.org/news/2023-01-chemists-ocean-based-molecule-parkinson.html Biochemistry Fri, 20 Jan 2023 04:26:04 EST news593411155 Propofol is the most commonly used drug to induce general anesthesia. Despite its frequent clinical application, exactly how propofol causes anesthesia is poorly understood. https://phys.org/news/2022-11-neuron-function-widely-anesthetic-propofol.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 07 Nov 2022 16:16:03 EST news587060161 Flexible implanted electronics are a step closer toward clinical applications thanks to a recent breakthrough technology developed by a research team from Griffith University and UNSW Sydney. https://phys.org/news/2022-08-ultra-thin-tough-implantable-material-spinal.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 10 Aug 2022 08:33:18 EDT news579339194 In about a fifth of the cases of Parkinson's disease, look to a small, malfunctioning protein in the lysosome as a risk factor, say University of Michigan researchers. https://phys.org/news/2022-06-reveal-molecular-mechanism-parkinson-disease.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 23 Jun 2022 12:31:50 EDT news575206305 Nanosized molecules of a particular chemical element can inhibit the formation of plaque in the brain tissues. This new discovery by researchers at Umeå University, Sweden, in collaboration with researchers in Croatia and Lithuania, provides renewed hope for novel treatments of, for instance, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease in the long run. https://phys.org/news/2021-07-discovery-nanosized-molecules-inhibit-alzheimer.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 01 Jul 2021 08:06:15 EDT news544345573 Scientists have produced a tomato enriched in the Parkinson's disease drug L-DOPA in what could become a new, affordable source of one of the world's essential medicines. https://phys.org/news/2020-12-tomatoes-source-parkinson-disease-drug.html Plants & Animals Wed, 09 Dec 2020 10:54:11 EST news526733643 A team of researchers affiliated with several institutions in France has found that amyloid fibrils lit with near-infrared radiation emit a dim, near-infrared signal. In their paper published in the journal Nature Photonics, the group describes their study of amyloid fibrils and plaques in mice and humans and what they found. https://phys.org/news/2019-05-amyloid-fibrils-lit-near-infrared-emit.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 21 May 2019 08:40:01 EDT news477645911