Gene activity in a test tube

An accurate picture of gene activity can provide the key to the development of new, targeted therapies

18-Oct-2022 - When searching for the causes of illnesses and developing new treatments, it is absolutely vital to have a precise understanding of the genetic fundamentals. Würzburg researchers have devised a new technique for this purpose. Pathological processes are usually characterised by altered gene ...

Unchartered territory in the human genome

18-Jul-2022 - An international consortium brings together 7,200 segments of the human genome that are virtually unexplored and presents a roadmap for integrating them into genome databases in “Nature Biotechnology”. They could hold information about what sets humans apart from other animals. When researchers ...

Rear-end Collision on the “Ribosome Highway”

Researchers identify bacterial protein that senses and rescues “stalled” ribosomes

14-Mar-2022 - As a molecular machine found in the cells of all organisms, the ribosome is responsible for making new proteins. It reads the blueprint for a certain protein on a messenger molecule – known as messenger RNA (mRNA) – and then converts this information into new proteins. For a number of reasons, ...

Researchers film fundamental life process

Study provides more detailed insights into the formation of ribosomes

29-Oct-2021 - All proteins in a cell are assembled by complicated molecular machines. The precursors of these ribosomes are produced in the cell nucleus and then enter the cell through the so-called nuclear pores. Researchers at the University of Bonn and ETH Zurich have now filmed this fundamental process in ...

Turbocharger for the cell machinery

14-Jan-2019 - The classic molecular-biological narrative has a simple form: Gene-RNA-protein. This is what we learned in school: DNA is transcribed into RNA. In the protein factories (the so-called ribosomes), the RNA serves as a kind of punch card - the proteins are assembled by the machinery exactly ...

Microbial murder mystery solved

10-Nov-2017 - Immune cells called "killer cells" target bacteria invading the body's cells, but how do they do this so effectively? Bacteria can quickly evolve resistance against antibiotics, yet it seems they have not so readily been able to evade killer cells. This has caused researchers to become interested ...

Atomic map of malaria drug gives it new life

15-Mar-2017 - Researchers have mapped how the malaria drug mefloquine works, providing a route to make effective alternatives and combat rising drug resistance. Malaria is caused by a family of parasites carried by certain mosquito species, leading to an estimated half a million deaths each year. There are ...

Researchers discover how selenium is incorporated into proteins

10-Oct-2016 - Humans need eight essential trace elements for good health, and one of them is selenium - a powerful antioxidant that is important for thyroid and brain function as well as metabolism. But trace elements can't be used by the body until they are integrated into a protein molecule. Selenium is ...

Vigilin, the lock keeper

Researchers have discovered a molecule in liver cells that controls the release of fat

29-Sep-2016 - ETH researchers have discovered a molecule in liver cells that controls the release of fat into the bloodstream. This “lock keeper” is present in large quantities in overweight people and leads indirectly to vascular narrowing. Anyone attending Munich’s famous Oktoberfest will know it can leave ...

A Peek into the “Birthing Room” of Ribosomes

Scaffolding and specialised workers help with the delivery – Biochemists gain insights into biogenesis

19-Jul-2016 - A type of scaffolding on which specialised workers ply their trade helps in the manufacturing process of the two subunits from which the ribosome – the protein factory of the cell – originates. Biochemists at Heidelberg University discovered it after succeeding in getting a peek into the ...