Category Biology/Biotechnology

Salk Institute researchers and collaborators develop novel cancer treatment that halts fat synthesis in cells. Placebo-treated cells (left) have far more lipid (red) production compared to ND-646 treated cells (right). Credit: Image courtesy of Salk Institute

Cells create their own fat molecules to build their plasma membranes and other critical structures. Now, researchers at the Salk Institute, along with academic and industry collaborators, have found a way to obstruct this instrumental process to stifle cancer’s growth. The approach stalls the molecular building blocks cancer needs to grow. “Cancer cells rewire their metabolism to support their rapid division,” says Salk Professor Reuben Shaw...

Left, the P domain on human norovirus attaches to human cells via binding to HBGA. Human IgA antibody 5I2 interferes with this attachment by physically blocking the HBGA recognition site on the P domain. Courtesy of S. Shanker, B.V.V. Prasad and M. Estes

A mechanism by which human antibodies target and block noroviruses has been found. It opens the possibility of developing therapeutic agents against this virus that causes the death of about 200,000 children every year. “Some people infected with norovirus do not get sick,” said Dr. B V Venkataram Prasad, professor of virology and the Alvin Romansky Chair in biochemistry at Baylor. “We wanted to understand how
these protective human antibodies work.”

The researchers screened and isolated protective antibodies from human blood and discovere...

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and other brain imaging technologies allow for the study of differences in brain activity in people diagnosed with schizophrenia. The image shows two levels of the brain, with areas that were more active in healthy controls than in schizophrenia patients shown in orange, during an fMRI study of working memory. Credit: Kim J, Matthews NL, Park S./PLoS One.

A key mechanism that explains how compounds researchers are developing can suppress schizophrenia-like symptoms in mice without side effects has been found. About 3 million Americans have schizophrenia, which is associated with excessive amounts of the neurotransmitter dopamine in a part of the forebrain called the striatum...

The Foldit puzzle-solving game, where groups compete online to fold the best protein. In a recent study, gamers beat scientists, college students and computer algorithms to see who could identify a particular protein’s shape. Credit: Scott Horowitz

Gamers playing the popular online puzzle game Foldit beat scientists, college students and computer algorithms in a contest to see who could identify a particular protein’s shape. The study findings have implications for video game enthusiasts and classroom instruction, and showcase the positive impact citizen science can have on research...