Tag

Ribosome

All articles tagged with #ribosome

science14 days ago•5 min saved

Bacteria Survive on 19 Amino Acids in Ribosomes for 450 Generations

Columbia University researchers redesigned 21 ribosomal proteins in E. coli to remove isoleucine, using AI-guided protein design, and created a viable strain that survived and reproduced for over 450 generations. The genome still largely relies on isoleucine, so it's not a full 19-amino-acid organism, but the work shows life can function with a reduced amino acid alphabet and provides a framework for studying early protein synthesis.

via Indian Defence Review|

#amino-acids #biology #genetics

science22 days ago•5 min saved

MIT Scientist Uncovers Flexible Pathways in Ribosome Assembly

MIT biologist Joey Davis shows ribosome assembly is dynamic and can proceed via multiple pathways, not a fixed sequence. Using cryo-EM and the CryoDRGN neural-network approach, his work reveals diverse intermediate structures when assembly is blocked and aims to speed up data collection to improve AI-based protein-structure prediction.

via MIT News|

#cryo-em #cryodrgn #protein-synthesis

science27 days ago•5 min saved

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

science27 days ago•11 min saved

AI-guided ribosome redesign trims the genetic code from 20 to 19 amino acids

A Columbia-Harvard team used AI-based protein design and AlphaFold to create an isoleucine-free ribosome in E. coli, progressively replacing the small ribosomal subunit’s genes and finally making an isoleucine-free subunit with one design that allowed growth to about 60%–70% of normal. They replaced 20 of 21 subunit genes, leaving the rplW gene as the final hurdle; after ~400 generations the strain carried 20–30 mutations but did not reintroduce isoleucine, underscoring both the potential and limits of a reduced genetic code and AI-driven design for fundamental biology.

via Ars Technica|

#ai-design #genetic-code #isoleucine

science3 months ago•15 min saved

RNA World Revisited: How RNA Catalysis Might Have Sparked Life

Explores the RNA world hypothesis, showing how RNA catalysis and ribozymes—and a ribosomal RNA core—support an RNA-first origin of life, while outlining prebiotic pathways from simple molecules like hydrogen cyanide and noting competing ideas such as amyloid scaffolds and the ongoing uncertainty about proving the theory.

via Chemistry World|

#abiogenesis #protocells #ribosome

science2 years ago•8 min saved

"Earth's Life Largely Dormant After Hitting 'Emergency Brake'"

Researchers have discovered a protein called Balon that can halt protein production in cells, inducing dormancy. Found in Arctic bacteria, Balon is common across many organisms and represents a novel mechanism for dormancy, crucial for survival in harsh conditions. This discovery could help engineer organisms to withstand climate change and reframes dormancy as a vital, universal survival strategy.

via Quanta Magazine|

#balon-protein #climate-change #dormancy

science2 years ago•0 min saved

Unraveling the Mystery of the Cell's Protein Factory

Scientists have delved into the workings of the ribosome, the protein-making machine found in every cell, aiming to understand its assembly process and potential malfunctions. A team of researchers from the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research has published a study in Nature Communications, shedding light on the intricate mechanisms of this essential cellular component.

via Interesting Engineering|

#cell-biology #proteins #research

health-and-medicine2 years ago•3 min saved

"Breakthrough: Scientists Develop Synthetic Antibiotic to Combat Drug-Resistant Superbugs"

Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago and Harvard University have developed a new antibiotic, cresomycin, that effectively suppresses drug-resistant bacteria by evading their defenses. The antibiotic, described in Science, targets the ribosome and is designed to overcome common bacterial resistance mechanisms. In animal experiments, cresomycin protected against infections with multidrug-resistant strains of common disease-causing bacteria. The next step is to assess its effectiveness and safety in humans, highlighting the critical role of structural biology in designing the next generation of antibiotics.

via Phys.org|

#antibiotic-resistance #bacterial-infections #drug-development

science-and-technology2 years ago•18 min saved

Maintaining Accuracy in Protein Synthesis: Insights from mRNA Reading Frame Maintenance

Researchers have made atomic coordinates and cryo-EM maps available for complexes involved in mRNA reading frame maintenance during eukaryotic ribosome translocation. The study sheds light on the mechanisms of translation elongation and the role of GTP hydrolysis in translocation, providing insights into the fidelity of mRNA translation and potential targets for selective inhibition of protein synthesis.

via Nature.com|

#eukaryotic #mrna #protein-synthesis

science-and-technology2 years ago•12 min saved

"Genetic Hacking: Empowering Proteins with New Abilities"

Scientists are hacking the genetic code to expand the number of amino acids that can be used to create proteins, which could lead to the development of new materials and therapeutics. By modifying the cellular machinery responsible for protein synthesis, researchers have been able to incorporate non-canonical amino acids into proteins, creating molecules with new properties. They have also used this approach to create polymers and to genetically isolate cells. While much of this work has been done in vitro, researchers are working to apply these techniques to living cells and to create entirely new polymers with the same level of sequence definition as proteins.

via Nature.com|

#genetic-code #non-canonical-amino-acids #polymers