In everyday life, the global positioning system (GPS) can be employed to reliably determine the momentary location of one en route to the desired destination. Scientists have now developed a molecular 'GPS' with which the whereabouts of metal ions in enzymes can be reliably determined. Such ions play important roles in all corners of metabolism and synthesis for biological products.
Dec 19th, 2014
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Scientists have developed a powerful new system for studying how proteins and other biological molecules form and lose their natural folded structures.
Dec 18th, 2014
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Combining computer modeling and field research on cotton pests, a study suggests that biotechnology and traditional agriculture can be compatible approaches toward sustainable agriculture.
Dec 18th, 2014
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A new catalytic process is able to convert what was once considered biomass waste into lucrative chemical products that can be used in fragrances, flavorings or to create high-octane fuel for racecars and jets.
Dec 17th, 2014
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Chemists have invented a powerful method for joining complex organic molecules that is extraordinarily robust and can be used to make pharmaceuticals, fabrics, dyes, plastics and other materials previously inaccessible to chemists.
Dec 17th, 2014
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Scientists have crafted the first synthetic molecules that have both the targeting and response functions of antibodies.
Dec 17th, 2014
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Researchers have discovered what determines the accuracy with which cells can measure chemical concentrations.
Dec 17th, 2014
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Researchers are working to improve materials used in hip and knee replacements so that they last longer and allow patients to quickly get back on their feet after surgery.
Dec 15th, 2014
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The computationally assisted synthesis of a symmetrical propeller protein that retraces protein evolution could also be used to develop new protein structures for biotechnology applications.
Dec 12th, 2014
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In a triumph for cell biology, researchers have assembled the first high-resolution, 3-D maps of entire folded genomes and found a structural basis for gene regulation - a kind of 'genomic origami' that allows the same genome to produce different types of cells.
Dec 11th, 2014
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Technique allows rapid, large-scale studies of gene function.
Dec 11th, 2014
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When a large protein unfolds in transit through a cell, it slows down and can get stuck in traffic. Using a specialized microscope , researchers now can watch the way the unfolded protein diffuses. Studying the relationship between protein folding and transport could provide great insight into protein-misfolding diseases such as Alzheimer's and Huntington's.
Dec 10th, 2014
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Efflux pumps are surface proteins that prevent antimicrobial drugs from getting a foothold in a bacterial cell by identifying and pumping them out of the cell. New research suggests that small pieces of those drugs could keep the efflux pumps busy and allow the antimicrobial drugs to reach a critical mass inside the cell.
Dec 9th, 2014
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Scientists can now explore nerves in mice in much greater detail than ever before, thanks to an approach developed by scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL). The work enables researchers to easily use artificial tags, broadening the range of what they can study and vastly increasing image resolution.
Dec 9th, 2014
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Scientists have developed a method for producing biological crystals that has allowed scientists to observe - for the first time - DNA double chain breaks. They have also developed a computer simulation that makes this process, which lasts in the order of millionths of a second, visible to the human eye.
Dec 8th, 2014
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By analyzing the genetic makeup of individual stem cells, researchers have identified new ways to regulate and control the growth of various cell and tissue types.
Dec 4th, 2014
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This new research tool offers a more profound view of the immune responses that are involved in a range of diseases, such as HIV infection. At the level of gene transcription, this had been difficult, complex and costly to do with current technologies, such as microscopy.
Dec 4th, 2014
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A new, innovative 'dashboard' from the National Institute of Standards and Technology won't help you drive your car, but it will help enable reproducible research in biology.
Dec 3rd, 2014
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