https://phys.org/biology-news/molecular-computational en-us Medical Xpress provides the latest news on molecular and Computational biology A research team led by Lund University in Sweden has developed an AI tool that traces back the most recent places you have been to. The tool acts like a satellite navigation system, but instead of guiding you to your hotel, it identifies the geographical source of microorganisms. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-gps-microorganisms-forensic.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 14:43:04 EST news650212982 Most research on plant stem cells focuses on the tips of roots and shoots, where growth occurs in height. But biologist Kirsten Ten Tusscher from Utrecht University explains that thickness growth is just as essential. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-uncovers-thickness-growth-mechanisms.html Plants & Animals Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 14:30:04 EST news650212201 The more a plant species invests in defense, the less potential it has for growth, according to a new study. Research made possible by open science provides new insights into plant adaptation and interspecies variation. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-defense-growth-allocate-resources.html Plants & Animals Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 14:00:01 EST news650190482 Programmed cell death-1, or PD-1, has become a headline-grabbing molecule best known for its role in cancer immunotherapies called checkpoint inhibitors. A study from Georgia Tech and Emory University researchers is offering an improved understanding of why these inhibitors work—and how to make them effectively fight cancer for more patients. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-physical-affects-cancer-treatment-explores.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 12:27:05 EST news650204821 Genes contain instructions for making proteins, and a central dogma of biology is that this information flows from DNA to RNA to proteins. But only two percent of the human genome actually encodes proteins; the function of the remaining 98% remains largely unknown. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-rna-crispr-reveals-hundreds-noncoding.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 11:00:01 EST news650193702 The brain is a marvel of efficiency, honed by thousands of years of evolution so it can adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing world. Yet, despite decades of research, the mystery of how the brain achieves this has remained elusive. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-brains-fruit-flies-monkeys-scientists.html Evolution Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 09:34:29 EST news650194465 "How is plant growth controlled?" and "What is the basis of variation in stress tolerance in plants?" were among the 125 most challenging scientific questions, according to the journal Science in 2016. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-scientists-reveal-strigolactone-perception-mechanism.html Molecular & Computational biology Agriculture Thu, 07 Nov 2024 09:30:38 EST news650194234 By studying changes in gene expression, researchers learn how cells function at a molecular level, which could help them understand the development of certain diseases. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-causal-theory-effect-relationships-genes.html Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 09:20:38 EST news650193632 A team of microbiologists and virologists at Wuhan University, working with colleagues from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the University of Washington and Humabs BioMed SA, has found that it is possible to use coronavirus DNA to create receptors that can be added to the membranes of human or animal cell membranes for research efforts. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-artificial-receptors-coronavirus-dna-avenues.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 06 Nov 2024 16:00:24 EST news650131220 Harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and the world's fastest supercomputers, a research team led by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory has developed an innovative computing framework to speed up the design of new proteins. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-ai-framework-incorporates-experimental-text.html Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 06 Nov 2024 14:56:13 EST news650127365 The CRISPR molecular scissors have the potential to revolutionize the treatment of genetic diseases. This is because they can be used to correct specific defective sections of the genome. Unfortunately, however, there is a catch: under certain conditions, the repair can lead to new genetic defects—as in the case of chronic granulomatous disease. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-genetic-crispr-inadvertently-defects.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 06 Nov 2024 11:07:18 EST news650113633 The "RNA world" hypothesis proposes that the earliest life on Earth may have been based on RNA—a single-stranded molecule similar in many ways to DNA—like some modern viruses. This is because, like DNA, RNA can carry genetic information, but, like a protein, it can also act as an enzyme, initiating or accelerating reactions. While the activity of a few RNA enzymes—called ribozymes—have been tested on a case-by-case basis, there are thousands more that have been computationally predicted to exist in organisms ranging from bacteria to plants and animals. Now, a new method, developed by Penn State researchers, can test the activity of thousands of these predicted ribozymes in a single experiment. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-thousands-rna-enzymes-twister-ribozyme.html Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 05 Nov 2024 16:17:24 EST news650045832 Scientists from the Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry (IPB), together with partners from the University of Cologne, have discovered a new group of defense substances in barley that are effective against a broad spectrum of fungal pathogens. One exception is the root rot pathogen Bipolaris sorokiniana. This fungus neutralizes the defense substances and uses them to grow better. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-scientists-arms-barley-fungal-pathogen.html Plants & Animals Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 05 Nov 2024 13:08:03 EST news650034481 Over the past two decades, new technologies have helped scientists generate a vast amount of biological data. Large-scale experiments in genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and cytometry can produce enormous quantities of data from a given cellular or multicellular system. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-complex-biological-insights-genomic-huge.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 05 Nov 2024 12:25:35 EST news650031930 Romance is a complex affair in humans. There's personality, appearance, seduction, all manner of physical and social cues. Mosquitoes are much more blunt. Mating occurs for a few seconds in midair. And all it takes to woo a male is the sound of a female's wingbeats. Imagine researchers' surprise when a single change completely killed the mosquitoes' libidos. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-deaf-male-mosquitoes-dont.html Ecology Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 05 Nov 2024 10:22:04 EST news650024521 Eggs pop out of ovaries. But what propels them has been unknown. Now, researchers from the University of Connecticut explain in an article published in the September 18 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that tiny, muscle-like fibers in the ovary's cells squeeze the egg out. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-mechanics-ovulation-muscle-fibers-eggs.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 05 Nov 2024 10:02:33 EST news650023349 The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-AKT signaling pathway is one of the most critical and extensively investigated signaling pathways. It is the central regulator of various cellular processes including cell growth, proliferation, metabolism, and survival. Hyperactivation of PI3K-AKT signaling is highly related to a significant number of human diseases, particularly cancers. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-uncover-focal-adhesions-subcellular-hubs.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 05 Nov 2024 09:42:03 EST news650022121 From the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro to the shoulders of pirates: parrots are synonymous with color for people across the world. In a study published in the journal Science, scientists from The University of Hong Kong, together with an international team led by scientists from BIOPOLIS-CIBIO (Portugal) have uncovered for the first time a "switch" in the DNA of parrots that controls their wide gamut of colors. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-biologists-reveal-genetic-parrot-diversity.html Evolution Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 05 Nov 2024 07:28:04 EST news650014081 If left unchecked, insect pests can devastate crops. To minimize damage and reduce the need for insecticide sprays, crops have been genetically engineered to produce bacterial proteins that kill key pests but are not harmful to people or wildlife. However, widespread planting of such transgenic crops has led to rapid adaptation by some pests. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-usual-reveals-genetic-basis-pest.html Molecular & Computational biology Agriculture Mon, 04 Nov 2024 15:51:31 EST news649957885 Researchers from the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering and the University of Rome Tor Vergata in Italy have developed synthetic genes that function like the genes in living cells. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-synthetic-genes-intracellular-modular-ikea.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 04 Nov 2024 12:01:38 EST news649944087 The AI tool AlphaFold has been improved so that it can now predict the shape of very large and complex protein structures. Linköping University researchers have also succeeded in integrating experimental data into the tool. The results, published in Nature Communications, are a step toward more efficient development of new proteins for, among other things, medical drugs. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-alphafold-experimental-large-proteins.html Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 04 Nov 2024 11:26:04 EST news649941961 Like humans and other complex multicellular organisms, single-celled bacteria can fall ill and fight off viral infections. A bacterial virus is caused by a bacteriophage, or, more simply, phage, which is one of the most ubiquitous life forms on earth. Phages and bacteria are engaged in a constant battle, the virus attempting to circumvent the bacteria's defenses, and the bacteria racing to find new ways to protect itself. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-newly-anti-viral-defense-bacteria.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 04 Nov 2024 10:40:06 EST news649939200 A collaborative study by researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and Illumina has showcased the exceptional capabilities of the DRAGEN (Dynamic Read Analysis for GENomics) platform in comprehensive genome analysis. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-validation-gen-genome-analysis-platform.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 04 Nov 2024 10:10:21 EST news649937407 A team of biologists, environmental scientists and geneticists affiliated with multiple institutions across the U.S. has learned more about how mutations occur in clonally reproducing organisms by sequencing one of the oldest trees in the world. The group has posted their paper on the bioRxiv preprint server. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-sequencing-world-oldest-trees-mutations.html Evolution Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 04 Nov 2024 09:40:01 EST news649935107 A team of researchers led by Duke University, the University of California San Francisco, and the Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope have engineered odorant receptors to reveal the molecular basis of odor discrimination. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-lab-receptors-illuminate-odor.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Sun, 03 Nov 2024 07:30:01 EST news649675404 Researchers at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) are collaborating with colleagues from Frankfurt/Main, Oxford and Würzburg to investigate how the complex, cooperative behavior of honeybees (Apis mellifera) is genetically programmed so that it can be passed on to subsequent generations. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-honeybee-gene-behavior.html Ecology Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 01 Nov 2024 14:00:01 EDT news649668421 A team led by researchers at the University of Toronto has discovered that a group of cells located in the skin and other areas of the body, called neural crest stem cells, are the source of reprogrammed neurons found by other researchers. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-longstanding-theories-cellular-reprogramming.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 01 Nov 2024 12:36:04 EDT news649683362 The high complexity and diversity of the eukaryotic transcriptome poses significant challenges for the efficient detection of specific transcripts. Conventional targeted RNA-seq methods often require labor-intensive pre-sequencing enrichment steps, which can compromise comprehensive transcriptome profiling and limit their broader applications. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-rna-sequencing-approach-real-programmable.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 01 Nov 2024 10:51:03 EDT news649677061 Antibiotics have saved millions of lives from infectious diseases and are considered one of the most important discoveries of the 20th century. However, as the use (and abuse) of antibiotics has increased over the years, many bacteria have developed resistance to these drugs. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-human-histones-bacterial-infections.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 01 Nov 2024 10:33:04 EDT news649675981 In a study published in PNAS, a research team developed a new reinforcement learning-based enhanced sampling method called Adaptive Collective Variables Generator (Adaptive CVgen), which has been successfully applied to study protein folding and the synthesis of fullerene (C60). https://phys.org/news/2024-11-advanced-sampling-method-track-dynamic.html Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 01 Nov 2024 09:59:51 EDT news649673978