Molecular switch
hideA molecular switch is a molecule that can be reversibly shifted between two or more stable states. The molecules may be shifted between the states in response to changes in e.g. pH, light, temperature, an electrical current, microenvironment, or the presence of a ligand. In some cases, a combination of stimuli are utilized. The oldest forms of synthetic molecular switches are pH indicators, which display distinct colors as a function of pH. Currently synthetic molecular switches are of interest in the field of nanotechnology for application in molecular computers. Molecular switches are also important to in biology because many biological functions are based on it, for instance allosteric regulation and vision. They are also one of the simplest examples of molecular machines.
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News tagged with molecular switch
New on-off 'switch' triggers and reverses paralysis in animals with a beam of light (w/ Video)
Nov 18, 2009 |
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In an advance with overtones of Star Trek phasers and other sci-fi ray guns, scientists in Canada are reporting development of an internal on-off "switch" that paralyzes animals when exposed to a beam of ultraviolet ...
Revealing cancers' weak spots: Researchers exploit genetic 'co-dependence' to kill treatment-resistant tumor cells
Oct 20, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Cancer cells fueled by the mutant KRAS oncogene, which makes them notoriously difficult to treat, can be killed by blocking a more vulnerable genetic partner of KRAS, report scientists at ...
Researchers discover switch that causes the body to produce cancerous cells
Sep 04, 2009 |
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A team of Syracuse University researchers discovered a second molecular switch within the Mixed Lineage Leukemia protein complex that they believe could be exploited to prevent the overproduction of abnormal cells that are ...
From cell division to ageing: Scientists locate main cell switches
Aug 17, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Protein function and gene expression are often regulated by reversible modifications of already existing proteins. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry and the University ...
Chemists explain the switchboards in our cells
Aug 03, 2009 |
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Our cells are controlled by billions of molecular "switches" and chemists at UC Santa Barbara have developed a theory that explains how these molecules work. Their findings may significantly help efforts to ...
Scientists locate disease switches
Jul 17, 2009 |
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A team of scientists from the University of Copenhagen and the Max Planck Institute in Germany, has identified no less than 3,600 molecular switches in the human body. These switches, which regulate protein functions, may ...
New trigger for chronic inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis discovered
Jun 28, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A signal molecule made by the human body that triggers the immune system into action may be important in rheumatoid arthritis, according to new research published today in Nature Medicine. The au ...
Presto! Fast color-changing material may lead to more powerful computers (w/Video)
Apr 23, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers in Japan are reporting development of a new so-called "photochromic" material that changes color thousands of times faster than conventional materials when exposed to light.
Taking the conversation inside: Enhancing signals in cell interior
Mar 19, 2009 |
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Scientists used to think most of the exchange of information between cells was conducted at the surface, where cell receptors receive signals from other cells.
Space Research May Help Explain Salmonella Illness
Mar 11, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Salmonella bacteria research from two recent NASA space missions discovered key elements of the bacteria's disease-causing potential that hold promise for improving ways to fight food-borne infections on ...
Researchers discover new way to attack some forms of leukemia
Oct 28, 2008 |
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Each year, some 29,000 adults and 2,000 children are diagnosed with leukemia, a form of cancer that is caused by the abnormal production of white blood cells in the bone marrow. Current treatments rely primarily on killing ...
