The existence of an endogenous daily clock in humans is well known: it is what drives the 24-hour sleep/wake rhythm to match the daily cycle of night and day. That this biological circadian rhythm occurs in individual cells, and that they continue to ‘tick’ in a petri dish is now well-accepted scientifically, but the mechanism […]
Insight on Research
First step in preventing neurodegenerative diseases
The deposition of misfolded proteins is a defining feature of many age-dependent human diseases, including the increasingly prevalent neurodegenerative diseases. Why this happens is unclear. Cells normally strive to ensure that proteins are correctly folded by using powerful and sophisticated mechanisms to maintain protein homeostasis under adverse conditions. However, with age, the cellular defence systems […]
Neurofibromin controls food uptake by hungry amoebae
Many of our cells can engulf solid particles and liquid droplets to ingest (swallow) them. Phagocytes ingest invading bacteria and dead cells during infections in the same way that our single-celled distant ancestors engulfed food that they needed for growth. A core group of genes is found within these ancient organisms that is also important […]
hiCLIP : New method finds structures of mRNA molecules
The structures of many proteins have been extensively studied, however it has proved extremely difficult to investigate the structures of the mRNA molecules that carry the genetic information for these proteins. Jernej Ule and his group, while working in the LMB’s Structural Studies Division, developed a groundbreaking new method for studying the secondary structure of […]
Common origins of RNA, proteins and lipids on earth
How did life first originate on this planet? Even the most minimal cell needs three subsystems: to convey information, to create compartments, and to catalyse metabolic reactions. But did these all arise together at the origin of life? Or did one form first? How could the molecules that create these subsystems assemble in the first […]
Dynactin complex structure revealed by electron cryo-microscopy
Dynactin is a protein complex that activates the dynein motor protein, enabling intracellular transport. It is extremely flexible and has proved very difficult to study by conventional crystallography methods. Now for the first time, research carried out by Andrew Carter and his group in the LMB’s Structural Studies Division, has revealed the structure of this […]