Questioning conventional understanding of antifreeze proteins

Scientists have discovered that an ice-binding protein (fcIBP) from sea ice microalga does not fit in the conventional classification of ice-binding proteins, suggesting unknown mechanisms behind its antifreeze property. ...

How antifreeze proteins stop ice cold

How do insects survive harsh northern winters?  Unlike mammals, they don't have thick coats of fur to keep warm.  But they do have antifreeze. Antifreeze proteins (AFPs) prevent ice from forming and spreading inside their ...

Teaching a machine to spot a crystal

Protein crystals don't usually display the glitz and glam of gemstones. But no matter their looks, each and every one is precious to scientists.

Chemists 'crystallize' new approach to materials science

A team of chemists at the University of California San Diego conducted breakthrough research for materials science—a field for which chemistry frequently provides information about the structure and composition of materials, ...

Fungus senses gravity using gene borrowed from bacteria

The pin mold fungus Phycomyces blakesleeanus forms a dense forest of vertically growing fruiting bodies, but how does it know which way is "up"? New research publishing 24 April in the open access journal PLOS Biology, from ...

Molecular details of protein crystal nucleation uncovered

A team of researchers led by Dr. Mike Sleutel from the VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology in collaboration with scientists from the Institute for Complex Molecular Systems of the Eindhoven University of Technology, and ...

Snapshot of DNA repair

DNA is like the computer code of the body, and it must be preserved for our bodies to survive. Yet, as cells grow and change, DNA is vulnerable to defects, especially double strand breaks (DSBs). In fact, DSBs regularly occur ...

page 5 from 17