How to get chloride ions into the cell

Many bacteria and unicellular algae have light-driven pumps in their cell membranes: proteins that change shape when exposed to photons such that they can transport charged atoms in or out of the cell. Thanks to these pumps, ...

Missing 'key' could overcome drug discovery barrier

Scientists have found a missing 'key' that unlocks critical channels responsible for potassium ions to flow across cell membranes in a process that is essential for life. The discovery overcomes a major barrier to the development ...

The membrane structure of inner ear protein prestin is revealed

As mammals, we have very sensitive hearing, thanks to a process known as cochlear amplification. This amplification is down to sensory cells in the inner ear called outer hair cells (OHCs), and it is thought to depend on ...

Molecular scales on biological membranes

Cellular processes on membranes are often fast and short-lived. Molecules assemble briefly, separate again, interact with different partners and move along or through the membrane. It is therefore important to not only study ...

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