Category Biology/Biotechnology

Formation mechanism of the causative substances of Alzheimer’s disease revealed. Alzheimer’s disease is caused by aggregates of amyloid-beta peptides. This aggregation is accelerated at a cell membrane surface. The research group at ExCELLS revealed the reason of this phenomenon by molecular dynamics simulations and NMR experiments.

Many proteins aggregate at higher concentrations and form spherical substances called oligomers and acicular substances called amyloid fibrils...

Some of you may have made a New Year’s resolution to hit the gym to tackle that annoying belly fat. But have you ever wondered how physical activity produces this desired effect? A signaling molecule called interleukin-6 plays a critical role in this process, researchers report December 27 in the journal Cell Metabolism.

As expected, a 12-week intervention consisting of bicycle exercise decreased visceral abdominal fat in obese adults...

New sustainable biopolymer technology may one day free the world of its worst pollutant. A new Tel Aviv University study describes a process to make bioplastic polymers that don’t require land or fresh water – resources that are scarce in much of the world. The polymer is derived from microorganisms that feed on seaweed. It is biodegradable, produces zero toxic waste and recycles into organic waste.

The invention was the fruit of a multidisciplinary collaboration between Dr. Alexander Golberg of TAU’s Porter School of Environmental and Earth Sciences and Prof. Michael Gozin of TAU’s School of Chemistry...

Some people appear to be considerably younger or older than their chronological age. Genetic signatures that may help explain this have been discovered by scientists at the Salk Institute. The age-associated genetic patterns were found by analyzing skin cells from people of various ages, according to a study by Salk Institute scientists.

Researchers then applied the results to detect genetic signs of accelerated aging in people with progeria, a disease that causes patients to appear far older than their chronological age...