Looking for hidden states of the COVID-19 spike protein

The virus wreaking havoc on our lives is an efficient infection machine. Comprised of only 29 proteins (compared to our 400,000), with a genome 1/200,000 the size of ours, SARS-CoV-2 is expertly evolved to trick our cells ...

Evolution: No social distancing at the beginning of life

Bacteria are a dominant form of life that inhabit every environment on Earth. This includes human bodies, where they outnumber our cells and genes and regulate many body systems. Bacteria are regularly viewed as simple, single-celled ...

RAP tag: A new protein purification approach

Whether it's our diets, building strength, or as part of medical advancements, it is no secret that proteins form an important part of our lives. Tracking how proteins work and move in cells, and purifying engineered proteins, ...

A new strategy of cell entry for some types of parvoviruses

Researchers at the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), in collaboration with American scientists, have discovered a new parvovirus strategy for reaching the cell nucleus, where they reproduce. The results ...

Chemists make cellular forces visible at the molecular scale

Scientists have developed a new technique using tools made of luminescent DNA, lit up like fireflies, to visualize the mechanical forces of cells at the molecular level. Nature Methods published the work, led by chemists ...

Viruses play critical role in evolution and survival of the species

As the world scrambles to control the growing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, new research in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology shows viruses also play a key evolutionary role in mammals' ability to reproduce and survive.

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