All Structural Biology articles
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NewsA built-in ‘hairpin’ prevents rogue CRISPR RNAs
A new study reveals that many CRISPR-Cas13 systems utilize an RNA to prevent the formation of extraneous CRISPR RNA. With the first repeat, this protective RNA forms a stable structure resembling a hairpin. It points to a remarkable case of convergent evolution.
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NewsUnraveling the complexities of the Borna disease virus 1
Researchers have published the first detailed structural description of the nucleoprotein-RNA complex in the family Bornaviridae. Their observations revealed the three-dimensional structure of this nucleoprotein-RNA complex, showing ring-like assemblies and viral RNA binds in the inner groove.
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NewsNew bite-sized CRISPR molecule may open doors for therapeutic genome editing
The safest, most accurate gene-editing tools don’t fit inside viral delivery mechanisms that could target them to specific cell types or tissues inside the human body. Researchers have developed a smaller pair of “molecular scissors” for gene editing that could make site-specific delivery within the body possible.
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NewsNanodisc platform improves vaccine design for Ebola, HIV and more
Scientists have created a platform that allows viral surface proteins to be studied in a form that more closely resembles how they appear naturally, utilizing nanodisc technology where these proteins are embedded into particles made of lipid molecules, preserving them in a membrane-like structure.
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NewsAtomic-level structure of a giant virus revealed
Researchers have successfully determined, for the first time, the capsid structure of Melbournevirus—a member of the giant virus family—at a resolution of 4.4 Å using cryo-electron microscopy.
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NewsNipah virus hijacks host protein NSUN2 to fuel replication
Researchers have decoded a critical survival strategy of the deadly Nipah virus (NiV), identifying a key host protein hijacked by the pathogen and translating this discovery into a promising new treatment approach.
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NewsHow bacteria outsmart the immune system: Two-pronged strategy revealed
A team has uncovered how a common bacterial pathogen uses a single protein to quietly undermine the human immune system, by both shutting down key warning signals and blocking the cell’s ability to restore them.
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NewsScientists solve 40-year-old biological mystery behind sleeping sickness
Scientists have cracked a 40-year-old biological cold case by revealing how the parasite that causes sleeping sickness stays one step ahead of the human immune system.
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NewsFluorescent imaging reveals how a global parasite develops, opening new paths for drug treatment
Researchers adapted a fluorescent imaging system typically used to study human cells, enabling real-time observation the parasite’s growth, a promising breakthrough against an organism that that infects both humans and animals.
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NewsReplicating bacteria DNA relies on accordionlike folds to separate
A new study deepens our understanding of what bacterial cells use to separate their DNA during replication, since they do not rely on external structures like human cells do.
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NewsFreshwater alga captures far-red light for photosynthesis by rearranging ordinary chlorophyll
To survive in areas where it is difficult to photosynthesize, some organisms adopt unique strategies. Researchers have found that a freshwater alga captures far-red light as an additional energy source by arranging ordinary chlorophyll in an extraordinary way.
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NewsScientists reveal how deadly Marburg virus enters human cells, identify therapeutic vulnerability
Researchers found that the Marburg virus, one of the world’s deadliest pathogens, is unusually efficient at getting inside human cells. They also showed that the virus’s entry protein contains structural features that explain this efficiency and point to a strategy for blocking infection.
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NewsTestosterone increases severity of bacterial skin infections
Men are more susceptible than women to skin infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, but the biological basis for this disparity has remained unclear. A new study is the first to reveal testosterone, present at higher levels in males, as a key driver of infection.
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NewsImaging technique is step towards needed treatments for hantaviruses in new molecular ma
Researchers have produced a detailed blueprint, the highest resolution yet, for a protein complex the Andes virus uses to infect host cells. The new detailed structural information enabled the researchers to produce a vaccine candidate that caused mice to produce neutralizing antibodies against the Andes virus.
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NewsProtein interplay offers insights into how the immune system recognizes viral RNA
A new study reveals how two proteins cooperate in a key early step of antiviral detection. Using cryo-electron microscopy and high-speed atomic force microscopy, researchers found that LGP2 binds to viral RNA and recruits MDA5 molecules, as if threading beads on a string.
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NewsScientists identify key protein that stops malaria parasite growth
An international team of scientists have identified a unique protein essential for the malaria parasite’s survival and transmission. Aurora-related kinase 1 (ARK1) acts as a ‘traffic controller’ during the parasite’s unusual cell division and growth process.
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NewsEmerging class of antibiotics to tackle global tuberculosis crisis
Researchers investigated how three naturally occurring antibiotic compounds – ecumicin, ilamycin and cyclomarin – act on a vital protein degradation machine inside Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes TB.
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NewsHidden architecture inside cellular droplets reveals new targets for cancer and neurodegeneration
Cells rely on biomolecular condensates to coordinate essential biological processes without surrounding membranes. Scientists long assumed condensates lacked internal organization and functioned as a simple liquid, but a new study has discovered that some are built from intricate networks of thread-like protein filaments.
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NewsNew research boosts future whooping cough vaccines
By blocking the pertussis toxin epitopes with new found antibodies, researchers improved the pertussis vaccines to provide stronger, long-lasting immunity for infected and high-risk infants.
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NewsNew COVID-19 drug shows greater promise against resistant viral strains
A new standalone oral drug candidate has proven to be effective against Paxlovid-resistant COVID-19 strain in animal models. It works with low doses and cause no drug interaction-induced side effects.