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Molecular Biology

All articles tagged with #molecular biology

Depression May Stop New Brain Cells From Forming in Adults, Altering Memory
health-and-medicine11 hours ago

Depression May Stop New Brain Cells From Forming in Adults, Altering Memory

A large Columbia-led study shows major depressive disorder disrupts neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus, potentially impairing pattern separation and the ability to store distinct memories. The researchers mapped widespread molecular and epigenetic changes across the hippocampal network, linking inflammation and altered gene programs to depression and suggesting new targets for treatments that classify depression by molecular subtype rather than brain region.

via Science Daily|
#depression#health-and-medicine#hippocampus
The genome’s safety net: buffering mutations with HSP90 and partners
molecular-biology2 months ago

The genome’s safety net: buffering mutations with HSP90 and partners

A Nature feature explains how HSP90 and related heat‑shock proteins buffer harmful mutations, masking their effects and allowing genetic variation to persist. This buffering can influence disease risk (notably BRCA1‑related cancers), responses to therapy, and even evolution. New work maps additional buffering genes beyond HSP90, while environmental stress such as heat can exhaust buffering, with implications for drug development that target these master proteins.

via Nature|
#brca1#fanconi-anaemia#hsp90
Bacteria run on 19 amino acids, rewriting a core piece of life's code
science3 months ago

Bacteria run on 19 amino acids, rewriting a core piece of life's code

Scientists reengineered Escherichia coli to translate proteins with only 19 of the standard 20 amino acids by substituting isoleucine in the ribosome, using AI-guided design to identify workable substitutions. This demonstrates that essential cellular machinery can operate on a reduced amino-acid alphabet, offering a blueprint for new synthetic organisms and informing our understanding of early life.

via Nature|
#artificial-intelligence#genetic-code#molecular-biology
Two Molecular Milestones Mark Aging at Ages 44 and 60
science6 months ago

Two Molecular Milestones Mark Aging at Ages 44 and 60

A longitudinal study of 108 adults found that roughly 80% of studied biomolecules change in two sharp waves—around age 44 and again in the early 60s—indicating distinct midlife and late-life aging windows that affect lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, immune function, and organ health. Menopause is not the sole driver, and researchers call for larger, more diverse studies to confirm and expand on these findings.

via ScienceAlert|
#aging#biomarkers#midlife