Zinc Transporter Has Built-in Self-regulating Sensor

Scientists at Brookhaven Lab have determined the atomic-level structure of a zinc-transporter protein, a molecular machine that regulates levels of this crucial trace metal micronutrient inside cells. The structure reveals how the cellular membrane protein shifts its shape to move zinc from the environment into a cell, and temporarily blocks this action automatically when zinc levels inside the cell get too high.

Jianhua Zhao awarded $2.4M to reveal cancer targets through atomic-resolution imaging

Assistant Professor Jianhua Zhao, Ph.D., has been awarded a unique and competitive grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The five-year, $2.4 million grant aims to give researchers greater research flexibility to work on fundamental questions in biology.

SLAC expands and centralizes computing infrastructure to prepare for data challenges of the future

A computing facility at the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory is doubling in size, preparing the lab for new scientific endeavors that promise to revolutionize our understanding of the world from atomic to cosmic scales but also require handling unprecedented data streams.

Li et al., Matter, 26 June 2019

First Snapshots of Trapped CO2 Molecules Shed New Light on Carbon Capture

A new twist on cryo-EM imaging reveals what’s going on inside MOFs, highly porous nanoparticles with big potential for storing fuel, separating gases and removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Menlo Park, Calif. — Scientists from the Department of Energy’s…