http://www.physorg.com/ en-us Physorg.com internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have determined the structure of a critical protein from the Ebola virus, which, though rare, is one of the deadliest viruses on the planet killing between 50 and 90 percent of those infected. Described in the advance, online Early Edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the research reveals how a key component of the Ebola virus, called VP35, blocks the human immune system, allowing the virus uncontrolled replication. The structure represents a major step forward in understanding how the deadly virus works, and may be useful in the development of potential treatments for those infected. http://www.physorg.com/news179514235.html Medicine & Health Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:14:32 EST news179514235 Scientists at Boston Biomedical Research Institute (BBRI) and the University of Pennsylvania have found that combining two chemicals, one of which is the green tea component EGCG, can prevent and destroy a variety of protein structures known as amyloids. Amyloids are the primary culprits in fatal brain disorders such as Alzheimer's, Huntington's, and Parkinson's diseases. Their study, published in the current issue of Nature Chemical Biology (December 2009), may ultimately contribute to future therapies for these diseases. http://www.physorg.com/news179060136.html Chemistry Thu, 03 Dec 2009 10:57:46 EST news179060136 An important Brandeis study appearing in the December 3 issue of Nature raises the curtain on the hidden lives of proteins at the atomic level. The study reports that for the first time, researchers used x-ray crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques to directly visualize protein structures essential for catalysis at the rare high-energy state. The study also showed how the motions of these rare, or hidden, structures collectively, directly contribute to enzyme catalysis. http://www.physorg.com/news178987418.html Chemistry Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:30:01 EST news178987418 (PhysOrg.com) -- A small molecule designed to detect cyanide in water samples works quickly, is easy to use, and glows under ultraviolet or "black" light. Although the fluorescent molecule is not yet ready for market, its Indiana University Bloomington creators report in the Journal of the American Chemical Society that the tool is already able to sense cyanide below the toxicity threshold established by the World Health Organization. http://www.physorg.com/news175359189.html Chemistry Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:54:34 EST news175359189 Researchers at Lund University, Sweden, have taken a snapshot of proteins changing shape, sticking together and creating structures that are believed to trigger deadly processes in the nervous system. The discovery opens the possibility of designing drugs for a devastating neurological disease, ALS. http://www.physorg.com/news174649594.html Medicine & Health Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:03:56 EST news174649594 New research announced today, Wednesday 30th September, by a team of leading scientists working with the UK's national Synchrotron, Diamond Light Source, could have a significant impact on the development and refinement of new eco-friendly pest control methods for worldwide agriculture. http://www.physorg.com/news173452384.html Biology Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:40:01 EST news173452384 Investigators at Burnham Institute for Medical Research, University of California, San Diego, The Scripps Research Institute, Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation and other institutions have constructed a complete model, including three dimensional protein structures, of the central metabolic network of the bacterium Thermotoga maritima (T. maritima). http://www.physorg.com/news172419921.html Biology Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:28:15 EST news172419921 Using yeast genetics and a novel scheme to selectively remove a single protein from the cell division process called meiosis, a cell biologist at The Florida State University found that when a key molecular player known as Pds5 goes missing, chromosomes fail to segregate and pair up properly, and birth defects such as Down syndrome can result. http://www.physorg.com/news172334309.html Biology Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:30:01 EST news172334309 (PhysOrg.com) -- Research published by a team of Indiana University bioinformaticists has shown quantitatively the influence of small sequence changes and environmental conditions on the disordered regions of a protein. http://www.physorg.com/news172153088.html Biology Mon, 14 Sep 2009 13:19:44 EST news172153088 (PhysOrg.com) -- Any chemist with access to the Internet can now use a powerful tool to help them accurately identify the structure of a protein, thanks to recently published work led by Harold A. Scheraga, Cornell's Todd Professor of Chemistry Emeritus. http://www.physorg.com/news171738311.html Chemistry Wed, 09 Sep 2009 18:30:02 EST news171738311 (PhysOrg.com) -- To understand the molecular machinery of the human body, scientists have to be able to observe the structure of cellular proteins. This has been particularly challenging for those proteins embedded in cellular membranes. Now researchers from the Yale School of Medicine have established a novel way to peer inside this hidden universe, obtaining the first close-up look at a membrane-embedded potassium ion channel that, when defective, can cause high blood pressure or epilepsy. The research appears August 30 in Nature's Advance Online Publication. http://www.physorg.com/news170609059.html Medicine & Health Sun, 30 Aug 2009 13:00:01 EST news170609059 The fuzzy pale mold that lines the glass tubes in Dr. Yi Liu's lab doesn't look much like a clock. But this fungus has an internal, cell-based timekeeper nearly as sophisticated as a human's, allowing UT Southwestern Medical Center physiologists to study easily the biochemistry and genetics of body clocks, or circadian rhythms. http://www.physorg.com/news163700594.html Medicine & Health Mon, 08 Jun 2009 17:24:15 EST news163700594 Researchers at the University of California, San Diego have discovered that a complex network of interactions between drugs and the proteins with which they bind can explain adverse drug effects. Their findings suggest that adverse drug effects might be minimized by using single or multiple drug therapies in order to fine-tune multiple off-target interactions. http://www.physorg.com/news161609790.html Medicine & Health Fri, 15 May 2009 12:37:16 EST news161609790 (PhysOrg.com) -- Certain fish species blend with their environment by changing color. Sandia National Laboratories researchers have demonstrated that, in theory, they could cause synthetic materials to change color like fish do. http://www.physorg.com/news159198454.html Nanotechnology Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:47:58 EST news159198454 Sometimes known as "nature's origami", the way that proteins fold is vital to ensuring they function correctly. But researchers at the University of Leeds have discovered this is a 'hit and miss' process, with proteins potentially folding wrongly many times before they form the correct structure for their intended purpose. http://www.physorg.com/news155233369.html Biology Mon, 02 Mar 2009 16:23:17 EST news155233369 A flood of data is emerging from genome research, including sequence data on proteins. To help science keep pace with this flow of knowledge, computer scientists, biophysicists and biochemists across the world have been developing advanced technologies to help derive accurately and quickly the three-dimensional structure of proteins from this data. http://www.physorg.com/news151252682.html Technology Thu, 15 Jan 2009 14:38:02 EST news151252682 A protein found in the virulent avian influenza virus strain called H5N1 forms tiny tubules in which it "hides" the pieces of double-stranded RNA formed during viral infection, which otherwise would prompt an antiviral immune response from infected cells, said Baylor College of Medicine researchers in an online report in the journal Nature. http://www.physorg.com/news145110178.html Biology Wed, 05 Nov 2008 12:22:58 EST news145110178 Understanding the form and function of certain proteins in the human body is becoming faster and easier, thanks to the work of researchers at the University of Illinois. http://www.physorg.com/news138179978.html Chemistry Sun, 17 Aug 2008 08:19:38 EST news138179978