Red algae have persisted in hot springs and surrounding rocks for about 1 billion years. Now, a Rutgers-led team will investigate why these single-celled extremists have thrived in harsh environments – research that could benefit environmental cleanups and the production of biofuels and other products.
Tag: proteins
Flexing our research muscle: Scientists use APS to better understand muscle form, function
Powerful APS X-rays are used to uncover the structure and behavior of proteins controlling tarantula muscles. These insights may help scientists better understand our own muscles.
UB biophysicist to explore molecular mysteries of protein-RNA droplets
Inside human cells, proteins and RNA can cluster together to form spherical droplets that play vital roles in cellular processes as well as in certain human diseases. A $2 million grant will allow biophysicist Priya Banerjee’s team at UB to explore the molecular details of protein-RNA condensates.
EMBARGOED: Genetic study of proteins is a breakthrough in drug development for complex diseases
An innovative genetic study of blood protein levels, led by researchers in the MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit (MRC-IEU) at the University of Bristol, has demonstrated how genetic data can be used to support drug target prioritisation by identifying the causal effects of proteins on diseases.
New computational tool allows researchers to predict key functional sites in proteins
A new technology that uses a protein’s structure to predict the inner wiring that controls the protein’s function and dynamics is now available for scientists to utilize. The tool, developed by researchers at Penn State, may be useful for protein engineering and drug design.
Protein Mutations Alter Heart Function, Signaling Pathways in Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Article title: Dilated cardiomyopathy mutations in thin-filament regulatory proteins reduce contractility, suppress systolic Ca2+, and activate NFAT and Akt signaling Authors: Paul Robinson, Alexander J. Sparrow, Suketu Patel, Marta Malinowska, Svetlana N. Reilly, Yin-Hua Zhang, Barbara Casadei, Hugh Watkins, Charles Redwood…
Fat-Based Molecules are Key to Zika Virus Infection
Researchers from PNNL have helped colleagues at OHSU identify lipid molecules required for Zika infection in human cells. The specific lipids involved could also be a clue to why the virus primarily infects brain tissue.
Study reveals intricate details about Huntington’s disease protein
The research focuses on axonal transport — the way in which vital materials travel along pathways called axons inside nerve cells, or neurons. Scientists found that HTT sometimes journeys along these roadways in cellular vehicles (called vesicles) that also carry freight including a protein called Rab4.
Which Came First? An Experiment in Recreating Primordial Proteins Solves a Long-standing Riddle
How did the earliest proteins arise, given that the amino acids needed to make them are themselves produced by other proteins – enzymes? The Weizmann Institute’s Prof. Dan Tawfik and colleagues recreated primordial proteins to find the answer.
Potato power: Spuds serve high quality protein that’s good for women’s muscle
Researchers from McMaster University have found that the potato, primarily known as a starchy vegetable, can be a source of high-quality protein that helps to maintain muscle.
Cell Membrane Proteins Imaged in 3-D
A team of scientists including researchers at the National Synchrotron Light Source II have demonstrated a new technique for imaging proteins in 3-D with nanoscale resolution. Their work, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, enables researchers to identify the precise location of proteins within individual cells, reaching the resolution of the cell membrane and the smallest subcellular organelles.
Evaluating Embryo Quality with Ultrasensitive Protein Detection
Infertility is estimated to affect 9% of reproductive-aged couples globally, and many couples turn to assisted reproductive technology. Selecting embryos with maximum development potential plays a pivotal role in obtaining the highest rate of success in ART treatment.
Researchers can evaluate the quality of an embryo by detecting the content of proteins secreted. In Biomicrofluidics, a method to detect trace proteins secreted by embryos using microfluidic droplets and multicolor fluorescence holds promise to select embryos for ART.
Argonne’s researchers and facilities playing a key role in the fight against COVID-19
Argonne scientists are working around the clock to analyze the virus to find new treatments and cures, predict how it will propagate through the population, and make sure that our supply chains remain intact.
Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss How to Help Free Market Fight Coronavirus
New Brunswick, N.J. (March 25, 2020) – Stephen K. Burley, director of the RCSB Protein Data Bank headquartered at Rutgers University–New Brunswick, is available for interviews on how to help the free market fight the coronavirus. His viewpoint is published in the journal Nature. “Had drug…
Scientists Have Discovered the Origins of the Building Blocks of Life
Rutgers researchers have discovered the origins of the protein structures responsible for metabolism: simple molecules that powered early life on Earth and serve as chemical signals that NASA could use to search for life on other planets. Their study, which predicts what the earliest proteins looked like 3.5 billion to 2.5 billion years ago, is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Early research on existing drug compounds via supercomputing could combat coronavirus
Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have used Summit, the world’s most powerful and smartest supercomputer, to identify 77 small-molecule drug compounds that might warrant further study in the fight against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which is responsible for the COVID-19 disease outbreak.
Russian biologist explains recent findings regarding coronavirus structure
MOSCOW (MIPT) — The atomic structure of the novel coronavirus envelope has explained why it is exceptionally contagious. Its structural features make it much easier for the Chinese coronavirus to bind to target receptors, compared with the previously known SARS…
Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss New Coronavirus Enzyme Structure
New Brunswick, N.J. (Feb. 5, 2020) – Stephen K. Burley, director of the RCSB Protein Data Bank headquartered at Rutgers University–New Brunswick, is available for interviews on the 3D structure of a key enzyme in the new coronavirus that has been made publicly available…
‘Levitating’ proteins could help diagnose opioid abuse, other diseases
Researchers at Michigan State University’s Precision Health Program have helped develop a fascinating new method called magnetic levitation for detecting the density of proteins in the blood that could vastly improve the rate at which diseases are detected and diagnosed.
A Viral Gold Rush
Researchers developed open-source software that can classify viruses in ways that previous tools could not.
Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss RNA Discovery
New Brunswick, N.J. (Jan. 29, 2020) – Nearly 30 years after scientists first showed that RNA molecules can act as biological catalysts, researchers at Rutgers have discovered how an important RNA enzyme works in unprecedented detail. The research, led by scientists…
Rutgers Researchers Teach Lessons on Extraterrestrial Life in Local Elementary Schools
Each week, researchers with Rutgers ENIGMA teach astrobiology lessons to children in grades four through eight at McKinley Community School and Greater New Brunswick Charter School. Astrobiology is a relatively new interdisciplinary field that seeks to understand whether life arose elsewhere and whether we can detect it.
Structural changes of proteins help design shape-morphing materials
Two biophysicists at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee have introduced a method that could turn protein hydrogels into smart materials with shape-memory capabilities. The work opens the door for a wider use of protein hydrogels in both conventional and new fields, like soft robotics.
Better Biosensor Technology Created for Stem Cells
A Rutgers-led team has created better biosensor technology that may help lead to safe stem cell therapies for treating Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases and other neurological disorders. The technology, which features a unique graphene and gold-based platform and high-tech imaging, monitors the fate of stem cells by detecting genetic material (RNA) involved in turning such cells into brain cells (neurons), according to a study in the journal Nano Letters.
Red Algae Thrive Despite Ancestor’s Massive Loss of Genes
You’d think that losing 25 percent of your genes would be a big problem for survival. But not for red algae, including the seaweed used to wrap sushi. An ancestor of red algae lost about a quarter of its genes roughly one billion years ago, but the algae still became dominant in near-shore coastal areas around the world, according to Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor Debashish Bhattacharya, who co-authored a study in the journal Nature Communications.
Moderate to Heavy Drinking During Pregnancy Alters Genes in Newborns, Mothers
Mothers who drink moderate to high levels of alcohol during pregnancy may be changing their babies’ DNA, according to a Rutgers-led study.
Scientists Discover Key Factors in How Some Algae Absorb Solar Energy
Scientists have discovered how diatoms – a type of algae that produces 20 percent of the Earth’s oxygen – absorb solar energy for photosynthesis. The Rutgers University-led discovery, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could help lead to more efficient and affordable algae-based biofuels and combat climate change from fossil fuel burning.