All Joseph Bondy-Denomy articles
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NewsAnti-CRISPR stops the protein assembly line in bacteria
Bacteria fend off invading viruses with molecular scissors that slice up viral DNA, but viruses can fight back with a molecular trick that stops the scissors from ever being made. A viral “anti-CRISPR” protein sits on the ribosome and jams it as a CRISPR protein named Cas12 begins to form.
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NewsJumbo phages deploying secret handshakes could usher in new antibiotics
Jumbo phages create a restricted space inside bacteria where they can copy their DNA while surrounded by a protective shield. A new study reveals that the shield works via a set of ’secret handshakes’, allowing only a specific set of useful proteins to pass through.