Biological Sciences

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March 25, 2020
Press Release
SLAC researcher discovers giant cavity in key tuberculosis molecule
The giant cavity, in a protein that transports nutrients across the cell membrane, is unlike anything researchers have seen before.
A scientist working overlaid on a world map and images of tuberculosis bacteria.
March 24, 2020
News Feature
Solving the mysteries of a Trojan-horse mosquito toxin
An LCLS imaging technique reveals how a mosquito-borne bacterium deploys a toxin to kill mosquito larvae. Scientists hope to harness it to fight disease.
A photograph of mosquito larvae.
February 21, 2020
News Brief
Researchers identify new culprit for Minamata mercury poisoning tragedy
The 1950s and ‘60s poisoning event was long attributed to methylmercury, but studies at SLAC suggest a different compound was to blame. The findings could reshape toxicologists’ understanding of disease related to mercury poisoning.
Illustration of toxic waste being dumped from a pipe, a molecule, and a map showing the location of Minamata, Japan.
February 12, 2020
News Feature
Researchers show how electric fields affect a molecular twist within light-sensitive proteins
A better understanding of this phenomenon, which is crucial to many processes that occur in biological systems and materials, could enable researchers to develop light-sensitive proteins for areas such as biological imaging and optogenetics.
photoexcitation
February 11, 2020
News Brief
Atom or noise? New method helps cryo-EM researchers tell the difference
Cryogenic electron microscopy can in principle make out individual atoms in a molecule, but distinguishing the crisp from the blurry parts of an image can be a challenge. A new mathematical method may help.
An overall image of the apoferritin molecule (left) and a small section (right)
December 17, 2019
News Brief
Scientists discover how proteins form crystals that tile a microbe’s shell
A new understanding of the nucleation process could shed light on how the shells help microbes interact with their environments, and help people design self-assembling nanostructures for various tasks.
Illustration of tiles forming a microbial shell
December 16, 2019
News Brief
Researchers reveal how enzyme motions catalyze reactions
What they learned could lead to a better understanding of how antibiotics are broken down in the body, potentially leading to the development of more effective drugs.
December 13, 2019
News Brief
X-rays shed light on how anti-asthmatic drugs work
A new study uncovers how a critical protein binds to drugs used to treat asthma and other inflammatory diseases.
Anti-asthmatic drugs
November 15, 2019
News Feature
New insight into a cancer-shielding protein could guide a new generation of cancer treatments
A better understanding of ‘checkpoint proteins,’ which protect cancer cells against immune system strikes, could lead to the development of more effective drugs.
VISTA
October 7, 2019
News Feature
What is a molecular movie?
Molecular movie-making is both an art and a science; the results let us watch how nature works on the smallest scales.
see caption

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