Loss of Parafibromin/Hyrax results in loss of neural stem cell (NSC) polarity, leading to a switch from asymmetric to symmetric division. Credit: Duke-NUS.Researchers in Singapore and Spain have gained new insights into the task of a tumor-suppressor protein in fruit flies that help the understanding of some human cancer cells. The research, releaed in PLOS...
Credit: UnsplashA group of scientists from Helmholtz Munich has identified a new use for vitamin K, typically recognized for its part in blood clotting. In its fully reduced configuration, the researchers discovered that vitamin K operates as an anti-oxidant by efficiently inhibiting ferroptotic cell death. Ferroptosis is a natural kind of cell death in...
Classes of transcription clusters. Credit: Nature Communications (2022)Science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke's 3rd law states that "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Indika Rajapakse, Ph.D., is a believer. The engineer and mathematician now discovers himself a biologist. And he believes the charm of blending these 3 disciplines is crucial to unraveling how cells...
Daran-Lapujade’s lab took human DNA (in red) encoding core functions in muscle cells, and inserted it into the DNA (chromosomes in purple) of a yeast cell (in yellow). The humanized yeast can be used as a tool for medical studies, for example in drug screening and cancer research. Credit: Ella Maru Studio / Pascale...
Mitochondria are the energy powerhouses in eukaryotic cells. One popular hypothesis claims these organelles were a pre-requisite to the transition from simpler prokaryotes like bacteria and archaea to larger, more complex eukaryotic organisms. The new study challenges this assumption. Credit: Jason DreesIn the beginning, there was boredom. Following the emergence of cellular life on...
Laboratory Equipment. Engineering an 'Invisible Cloak' for Bacteria to Deliver Drugs to TumorsColumbia Design scientists report that they have created a "cloaking" system that temporarily conceals healing bacteria from body immune systems. This allow them to supply drugs to tumors better and eliminate cancer cells in mice. By manipulating the germs' DNA, they programmed...
A 3-dimensional model of a natural killer cell (purple) with granules (yellow) attaching to a target cell (gray). A pseudo color scale shows differences in packing density of lipids on NK cell membrane, with warmer colors indicating higher density. Credit: Orange lab, CUIMCA recently uncovered fat 'guard' that avoids natural killer cells from being...
This fluorescence microscopy image shows yeast vacuoles that have undergone phase separation. Credit: Luther Davis/Alexey Merz/University of WashingtonMembranes are essential to our cells. Every cell in your body is encased by one. And each of those cells contains specialized chambers, or organelles, which are similarly confined by membranes.Membranes assist cells in accomplishing tasks like...
Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have determined two antibodies that protect animals from disease brought on by alphaviruses. The antibodies were effective for every alphavirus checked, suggesting they possibly can create the basis of treatments or serve as a guide for a universal vaccine.In the US, the alphavirus we...
