Modulating cells' chloride channels

Laboratory cell experiments and computer simulations have revealed molecular mechanisms regulating a protein channel responsible for transporting chloride and other charged molecules across cell membranes. The findings were ...

Key acid-activated protein channel identified

Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered a long-sought protein, the proton-activated chloride channel (PAC), that is activated in acidic environments and could protect against the tissue-damaging effects of stroke, heart ...

How quinoa plants shed excess salt and thrive in saline soils

Barely heard of a couple of years ago, quinoa today is common on European supermarket shelves. The hardy plant thrives even in saline soils. Researchers from the University of Würzburg have now determined how the plant gets ...

DNA devices perform bio-analytical chemistry inside live cells

Some biochemistry laboratories fashion proteins into complex shapes, constructing the DNA nanotechnological equivalent of Baroque or Rococo architecture. Yamuna Krishnan, however, prefers structurally minimalist devices.

Cystic fibrosis gene typo is a double whammy

An imbalance of salt and water in patients with cystic fibrosis makes their lungs clog up with sticky mucus that is prone to infection. The cause of the offending imbalance is a well-known genetic error, one that blocks the ...

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