Molecular Biology News
August 11, 2025
Top Headlines
Aug. 8, 2025 — Researchers at Scripps have created T7-ORACLE, a powerful new tool that speeds up evolution, allowing scientists to design and improve proteins thousands of times faster than nature. Using engineered bacteria and a modified viral replication system, ...
July 21, 2025 — What scientists once dismissed as junk DNA may actually be some of the most powerful code in our genome. A new international study reveals that ancient viral DNA buried in our genes plays an active role in controlling how other genes are turned on ...
July 16, 2025 — Scientists have discovered that a protein once thought to be just a cellular "courier" actually helps plants survive drought. This motor protein, myosin XI, plays a critical role in helping leaves close their pores to conserve water. When it's ...
July 16, 2025 — Scientists have uncovered a surprisingly simple “tissue code”: five rules that choreograph when, where, and how cells divide, move, and die, allowing organs like the colon to remain flawlessly organized even as they renew every few days. ...
July 4, 2025 — Scientists have discovered that starving and then refeeding worms can reveal surprising secrets about aging. When a specific gene (called TFEB) is missing, these worms don’t bounce back from fasting—they instead enter a state that looks a lot ...
June 23, 2025 — In a remarkable twist of science, researchers have transformed a fungus long associated with death into a potential weapon against cancer. Found in tombs like that of King Tut, Aspergillus flavus was ...
June 19, 2025 — During Earth's ancient Snowball periods, when the entire planet was wrapped in ice, life may have endured in tiny meltwater ponds on the surface of equatorial glaciers. MIT researchers discovered ...
June 17, 2025 — Nematodes tiny yet mighty form wriggling towers to survive and travel as a team. Long thought to exist only in labs, scientists have now spotted these towers naturally forming in rotting orchard fruit. Remarkably, the worms aren t just piling up ...
June 3, 2025 — The biosynthesis of the great variety of natural plant products has not yet been elucidated for many medically interesting substances. In a new study, an international team of researchers was able to ...
June 2, 2025 — Scientists in Australia have developed a smart, bacteria-repelling coating based on resilin the ultra-elastic protein that gives fleas their legendary jumping power. When applied to surfaces like medical implants or surgical tools, the engineered ...
May 30, 2025 — Laboratory could improve crop resilience In a discovery three decades in the making, scientists have acquired detailed knowledge about the internal structures and mode of regulation for a specialized protein and are proceeding to develop tools that ...
May 30, 2025 — Obesity is a global health problem that affects many people. In recent years, very promising anti-obesity drugs have been developed. Despite these successes, there are patients who do not respond to these drugs or suffer from side effects. ...
Latest Headlines
updated 3:23am EDT
Aug. 7, 2025 — Scientists discovered that jewel wasp larvae that undergo a developmental "pause" live longer and age more slowly at the molecular level by nearly 30%. This slowdown is tied to conserved biological ...
Aug. 6, 2025 — Australian skinks have developed a remarkable genetic defense against venomous snake bites by mutating a key muscle receptor, making them resistant ...
Aug. 5, 2025 — A group of Chinese scientists has created powerful new tools that allow them to edit large chunks of DNA with incredible accuracy—and without leaving any trace. Using a mix of advanced protein ...
Aug. 2, 2025 — Long before evolution equipped them with the right teeth, early humans began eating tough grasses and starchy underground plants—foods rich in energy but hard to chew. A new study reveals that this ...
July 30, 2025 — Scientists have used artificial intelligence to upgrade plant immune systems, potentially revolutionizing how crops like tomatoes and potatoes can defend against harmful bacteria. By reengineering ...
July 23, 2025 — What made ribose the sugar of choice for life's code? Scientists at Scripps Research may have cracked a major part of this mystery. Their experiments show that ribose binds more readily and ...
July 8, 2025 — Scientists at MIT have turbocharged one of nature’s most sluggish but essential enzymes—rubisco—by applying a cutting-edge evolution technique in living cells. Normally prone to wasteful ...
July 7, 2025 — Scientists have decoded the sea spider’s genome for the first time, revealing how its strangely shaped body—with organs in its legs and barely any abdomen—may be tied to a missing gene. The ...
June 25, 2025 — Leafcutter ants live in highly organized colonies where every ant has a job, and now researchers can flip those jobs like a switch. By manipulating just two neuropeptides, scientists can turn ...
June 21, 2025 — Even after 20 million years of evolutionary separation, two tiny worm species show astonishingly similar patterns in how they turn genes on and off. Scientists mapped every cell s activity during ...
Earlier Headlines
June 16, 2025 — Sea anemones may hold the key to the ancient origins of body symmetry. A study from the University of Vienna shows they use a molecular mechanism known as BMP shuttling, once thought unique to ...
May 29, 2025 — A new study reveals that the aerobic nitrogen cycle in the ocean may have occurred about 100 million years before oxygen began to significantly accumulate in the atmosphere, based on nitrogen isotope ...
May 29, 2025 — Scientists analyzed almost 200 cannabis genomes to create the most comprehensive, high-quality, detailed genetic atlas of the plant to date. The atlas reveals unprecedented diversity and complexity ...
May 28, 2025 — A new concept of kinetic modules in biochemical networks could revolutionize the understanding of how these networks function. Scientists succeeded in linking the structure and dynamics of ...
May 28, 2025 — The protein DNase1 is one of the oldest biological agents in history: It has been on the market since 1958 and is now used, among other things, to treat cystic fibrosis. However, it takes ...
May 28, 2025 — Chemists have demonstrated how RNA (ribonucleic acid) might have replicated itself on early Earth -- a key process in the origin of ...
May 28, 2025 — Researchers find high-fat diets set off metabolic dysfunction in cells, leading to weight gain, but these effects can be reversed by treatment with an ...
May 28, 2025 — In a major leap forward for genetic and biomedical research, scientists have developed a powerful new artificial intelligence tool that can predict the 3D shape of chromosomes inside individual cells ...
May 28, 2025 — The aging of the innermost cell layer of blood vessels leads to cardiovascular diseases. Researchers have now shown for the first time that intestinal bacteria and their metabolites contribute ...
May 27, 2025 — A new study reveals the biological secret to the Zika virus's infectious success: Zika uses host cells' own 'self-care' system of clearing away useless molecules to suppress the ...
May 27, 2025 — Scientists have discovered cells in the skin of Atlantic salmon that offer new insights into how wounds heal, tissues regenerate, and cellular transitions support long-term skin ...
May 26, 2025 — Flowers grow stems, leaves and petals in a perfect pattern again and again. A new study shows that even in this precise, patterned formation in plants, gene activity inside individual cells is far ...
May 23, 2025 — In biology, enzymes have evolved over millions of years to drive chemical reactions. Scientists have now derived universal rules to enable the de novo design of optimal enzymes. As an example, they ...
May 23, 2025 — The molecular pathways involved in antiviral defenses and counter-defenses in host-pathogen systems remain unclear. Researchers have used Neurospora crassa as a model organism to explore how RNA ...
May 22, 2025 — Proteins catalyze life by changing shape when they interact with other molecules. The result is a muscle twitching, the perception of light, or a bit of energy extracted from food. The ability to ...
May 22, 2025 — A new study proves that a type of genetic element called 'introners' are the mechanism by which many introns spread within and between species, also providing evidence of eight instances in ...
May 22, 2025 — The bacteria that cause tuberculosis (TB) may have an 'on-off switch' that lets them pause and restart growth, according to a new study. The research helps explain why TB is so hard to ...
May 22, 2025 — Researchers uncover a notorious cholera strain that contains sophisticated immune systems to fend off viruses, which potentially helped it to fuel a devastating epidemic across Latin ...
May 21, 2025 — A study has uncovered a surprising link between diet, intestinal microbes and the efficacy of cancer ...
May 21, 2025 — Researchers have shown that gonadotrophs, cells in the pituitary gland with a key role in puberty and reproduction, come from two different populations, with the majority produced after birth rather ...
Monday, June 16, 2025
Thursday, May 29, 2025
- Rock Record Illuminates Oxygen History
- Cannabis Pangenome Reveals Potential for Medicinal and Industrial Use
Wednesday, May 28, 2025
- Kinetic Coupling -- Breakthrough in Understanding Biochemical Networks
- Yeast Can Now Produce Human DNase1
- Chemists Recreate How RNA Might Have Reproduced for First Time
- A High-Fat Diet Sets Off Metabolic Dysfunction in Cells, Leading to Weight Gain
- New AI Tool Reveals Single-Cell Structure of Chromosomes -- In 3D
- Intestinal Bacteria Influence Aging of Blood Vessels
Tuesday, May 27, 2025
- Zika Virus Uses Cells' 'self-Care' System to Turn Against Host
- Discovery Offers New Insights Into Skin Healing in Salmon
Monday, May 26, 2025
Friday, May 23, 2025
Thursday, May 22, 2025
- An Artificial Protein That Moves Like Something Found in Nature
- 'Selfish' Genes Called Introners Proven to Be a Major Source of Genetic Complexity
- Study Discovers DNA Switch That Controls TB Growth, and Could Help Unlock Its Antibiotic Resistance Secrets
- How Cholera Bacteria Outsmart Viruses
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
- The Dietary Bug in a Cancer Therapy
- Researchers Identify a Dual Origin of Cells Controlling Puberty and Reproduction
- Unlocking the Secrets of Bat Immunity
- Songbirds' Great Risk Results in Great Genetic Reward
- This Gene Variant Contributed to the Dietary and Physiological Evolution of Modern Humans
- A New Technology for Extending the Shelf Life of Produce
- Scientists Reveal How Energy Is Delivered Into the Cells Major 'shipping Port'
- Hand2: Positional Code That Allows Axolotls to Regrow Limbs Found
- Live View: Stress-Induced Changes in Generations of Cancer Cells
Tuesday, May 20, 2025
- A New Complexity in Protein Chemistry
- Common Diabetes Drug Helps Chickens Lay More Eggs
- How Membranes May Have Brought About the Chemistry of Life on Earth
- Advanced Genomics Study Improves Detection of Hard-to-Find Diarrheal Infections
- Eating Craved Foods With Meals Lessens Cravings, Boosts Weight Loss
Monday, May 19, 2025
- Bees Facing New Threats, Putting Our Survival and Theirs at Risk
- 'Cutting to Survive': How Cells Remove DNA Bridges at the Last Moment
- Survival Trick: Pathogen Taps Iron Source in Immune Cells
- How Did Plants Evolve the Ability to Transport Massive Amounts of Protein Into Seed Vacuoles?
- How to Swim Without a Brain
- Gut Bacteria and Acetate, a Great Combination for Weight Loss
- Mice Use Chemical Cues Such as Odors to Sense Social Hierarchy
Friday, May 16, 2025
- Researchers Find CRISPR Is Capable of Even More Than We Thought
- How Antibiotic Resistance to Fusidic Acid Works
- GPS for Proteins: Tracking the Motions of Cell Receptors
- Hazardous Reactions Made Safer Through Flow Technology
- In Healthy Aging, Carb Quality Counts
- Overlooked Cell Type Orchestrates Brain Rewiring
Thursday, May 15, 2025
- Protein Switch Turns Anti-Viral Immune Response on and Off
- Scientists Track Down Mutation That Makes Orange Cats Orange
Wednesday, May 14, 2025
- Rediscovering the First Known Cellular Receptor
- Marsupial Research Reveals How Mammalian Embryos Form
- Making Connections: A Three-Dimensional Visualization of Musculoskeletal Development
- An Ink That Boosts Coral Reef Settlement by 20 Times
- Genome of Near-Extinct Northern White Rhino Offers Hope for Reviving the Species
Tuesday, May 13, 2025
- With AI, Researchers Predict the Location of Virtually Any Protein Within a Human Cell
- Researchers Develop Living Material from Fungi
- 'Loop'hole: HIV-1 Hijacks Human Immune Cells Using Circular RNAs
Monday, May 12, 2025
Friday, May 9, 2025
- A More Realistic Look at DNA in Action
- Bacterium Produces 'organic Dishwashing Liquid' To Degrade Oil
- Can Frisky Flies Save Human Lives?
Thursday, May 8, 2025
- Bacteria: Recording Gene Activity More Efficiently
- Novel Point of Attack to Combat Dangerous Tropical Diseases
- AI-Designed DNA Controls Genes in Healthy Mammalian Cells for First Time
Wednesday, May 7, 2025
- A 'roadmap' Of the Fruit Fly Brain
- Klotho: A Protein That Promotes Healthy Aging and Improves Longevity
- Comb Jellies Reveal Ancient Origins of Animal Genome Regulation
Monday, May 5, 2025
- Biological 'clocks' Key to Muscle Health and Accelerated Aging in Shift Workers
- New Molecular Label Could Lead to Simpler, Faster Tuberculosis Tests
- Genomic Survey Uncovers Evolutionary Origins of Secretoglobins
Thursday, May 1, 2025
- Electricity-Generating Bacteria May Power Future Innovations
- Designer Microbe Shows Promise for Reducing Mercury Absorption from Seafood
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
- New Technology Facilitates Delivery of Advanced Medicines
- Protein Sources Change the Gut Microbiome -- Some Drastically
- New Study Unlocks How Root Cells Sense and Adapt to Soil
Tuesday, April 29, 2025
Monday, April 28, 2025
Thursday, April 24, 2025
- Blocking a Surprising Master Regulator of Immunity Eradicates Liver Tumors in Mice
- No More Copy-Pasting: DNA Base Editing for Better Lactobacillus Strains
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
- New and Surprising Traction Trait in Sculpin Fish
- Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome May Be Driven by Remnants of Infection
- How Bacteria in Our Aging Guts Can Elevate Risk of Leukemia and Perhaps More
- How DNA Self-Organizes in the Early Embryo
Tuesday, April 22, 2025
Monday, April 21, 2025
- Omnivorous? Vegan? Makes No Difference to Muscle Building After Weight Training, Study Finds
- A Light-Activated Probe Reveals TB Immune System Evasion Mechanisms
- Engineered Microglia Show Promise for Treating Alzheimer's and Other Brain Diseases
- How Changes in Lemur Brains Made Some Mean Girls Nice
- Microplastics: What's Trapping the Emerging Threat in Our Streams?
Friday, April 18, 2025
Monday, April 21, 2025
Thursday, April 17, 2025
Wednesday, April 16, 2025
- Microbes in Brooklyn Superfund Site Teach Lessons on Fighting Industrial Pollution
- Early Mutations and Risk Factors for Stomach Cancer, and Develops a Pre-Cancer Model for Stomach Cancer Prevention
- Uncovering the Relationship Between Life and Sound
- Forward Genetics Approach Reveals the Factor Responsible for Carbon Trade-Off in Leaves
- Bite-Sized Chunks of Chicken With the Texture of Whole Meat Can Be Grown in the Lab
- Metabolism Shapes Life