Basic science shows how a single mutation causes ataxia

Worldwide, only a handful of patients are known to suffer from episodic ataxia type 6, a neurological disease that causes transient loss of muscle control. The cause lies in a mutation that changes a single amino acid in ...

New cellular protective mechanism discovered

A vast number of biological reactions occur inside cells, generating various byproducts. Some of these can be highly reactive molecules, and if they build up inside cells they can cause stress and damage. One class of these ...

Igniting the synthetic transport of amino acids in living cells

The transport of amino acids and other molecules across the cell's membrane plays a crucial role in the metabolism of cells and, therefore, in human health. Current research hints that cancer, cystic fibrosis, aminoacidurias ...

Fitting a right hand in a left-handed mitten

Many biomolecules come in two versions that are each other's mirror image, like a left and a right hand. Cells generally use the left-hand version of amino acids to produce proteins, and uptake mechanisms were thought to ...

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