Autophagy is a fundamental cellular process by which cells capture and break down their own dysfunctional or redundant components for breakdown and recycling. Recent research has shown that phase-separated droplets have a number of important functions in cells. An international collaboration between German, Norwegian, and Japanese researchers has uncovered the mechanisms underlying both the detection […]
Could plant tissue grown in the laboratory reduce the environmental impact of logging and agriculture? MIT researchers are growing structures from wood-like plant cells in a laboratory, indicating the possibility of more efficient production of biomaterials – ScienceDaily
It takes a lot to make a wooden table. Grow a tree, cut it down, transport it, grind it … you get it. It's a decade-long process. Luis Fernando Velásquez-García suggests a simpler solution: "If you want a table, you should just let a table grow." Researchers in Velásquez-García's group have proposed a way to […]
Squeezing a rockstar material could make it sturdy enough for solar cells – ScienceDaily
Among the materials known as perovskites, one of the most exciting is a material that can convert sunlight into electricity as efficiently as today's commercial silicon solar cells and has the potential to be much cheaper and easier to manufacture. There is only one problem: of the four possible atomic configurations or phases that this […]
Reverse engineering of 3D chromosome models for single cells – ScienceDaily
Genome analysis can provide information about genes and their position on a strand of DNA, but such analysis provides little information about their spatial position within the chromosomes – the highly complex three-dimensional structures that contain genetic information. Chromosomes look like a fuzzy "X" in microscope images and can carry thousands of genes. They are […]
Rare Quadruple Helix DNA in Living Human Cells Using Glowing Probes – ScienceDaily
With new probes, scientists can see how four-stranded DNA interacts with molecules in living human cells and clarifies their role in cellular processes. DNA usually forms the classic double helix shape of two strands wrapped around each other. While DNA can form more exotic shapes in test tubes, few are seen in real living cells. […]
To understand periodontal disease, researchers study the surprising behavior of T cells – ScienceDaily
In diseases characterized by bone loss, such as periodontal disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoporosis, there are a lot that scientists still don't understand. What role does the immune response play in this? What happens to the regulatory mechanisms that protect the bones? In a recent article in Scientific reportsResearchers at the Forsyth Institute and the […]
Uncovering Basic Mechanisms of Self-Renewal and Differentiation of Intestinal Stem Cells – ScienceDaily
The bowel plays a central role in regulating the body's metabolism and its dysfunction is linked to a wide variety of diseases, including obesity, diabetes, colitis and colon cancer, which affect millions of people worldwide. The early control of endocrine dysfunction by stimulating the formation of specific enteroendocrine cells from intestinal stem cells could be […]
First direct observation of a magnetic field that affects the autofluorescence of flavins in living cells – ScienceDaily
Researchers in Japan made the first observations on biological magnetoreception – living, unchanged cells that respond in real time to a magnetic field. This discovery is a crucial step in understanding how animals, from birds to butterflies, use the Earth's magnetic field to navigate, and in answering the question of whether weak electromagnetic fields in […]
Proteins designed to form honeycomb structures may block receptors from taking up receptors from the surface of cells – ScienceDaily
A new class of protein material that interacts with living cells without being absorbed by them can affect signal transmission in cells, a new study shows. The material does this by binding and sequestering cell surface receptors. The discovery could have far-reaching implications for stem cell research and enable the development of new materials designed […]
Short-term exposure to B. fragilis toxin leaves a lasting impression on cells and increases cancer risk – ScienceDaily
A microbe found in the colon, often linked to the development of colitis and colon cancer, may also play a role in the development of some types of breast cancers, according to new research from researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and its Bloomberg ~ Kimmel Institute for cancer immunotherapy. Breast tissue cells […]