Biology Driven to cannibalism: A hormonal trigger for phagocytosis In this issue, Ghosh et al. (https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.202411073) reveal that a hormonal cue induces ovarian stretch follicle cells to cannibalize adjacent nurse cells—a process necessary to remodel egg chambers into viable eggs. Written by Admin July 21, 2025July 21, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Biology Archaeal Ribosome Shows Unique Active Site, Hibernation Factor In the intricate machinery of life, ribosomes stand as the quintessential molecular factories responsible for translating genetic information into functional proteins. These macromolecular complexes orchestrate the decoding of messenger RNA (mRNA) into polypeptide chains, a process fundamental to all cellular organisms. Despite the long evolutionary journey and the structural variations observed across different domains of […] Written by Bioengineer July 19, 2025July 19, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Biology A biotin-HaloTag ligand enables efficient affinity capture of protein variants from live cells HaloTag technology represents a versatile tool for studying proteins. Fluorescent HaloTag ligands employed in sequential labeling led to the discovery of distinct protein variants for histones, cohesins, and MCM complexes. However, an efficient biochemical approach to separate these distinct protein variants to study their biological functions is missing. Principally, being a gap in technology, the […] Written by Admin July 17, 2025July 17, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Biology Flowering Plant Gene Regulation: Recruitment, Rewiring, Conservation In the sprawling and intricately wired world of plant genetics, transcription factors (TFs) have emerged as central conductors orchestrating gene expression. These proteins bind to discrete regions of DNA, known as transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs), modulating when and where genes become active. This process underpins every aspect of plant life, from cellular identity and […] Written by Bioengineer July 15, 2025July 15, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Biology Nonmuscle myosin II regulates presynaptic actin and neuronal mechanobiology in Drosophila Neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) are evolutionarily ancient, specialized contacts between neurons and muscles. They experience lifelong strain, yet the mechanism preserving their integrity under mechanical load remains unclear. Here, we identify a novel actomyosin structure at Drosophila larval NMJs, consisting of a long-lived, low-turnover presynaptic actin core that colocalizes with nonmuscle myosin II (NMII) and becomes […] Written by Admin July 14, 2025July 14, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Biology Metabolic Syndrome Links BMI and Depression Trajectories In a groundbreaking cohort study emerging from China, researchers have explored the complex interplay between body mass index (BMI), depressive symptoms, and metabolic syndrome in adults over the age of 45. This investigation not only illuminates the intricate cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between these health parameters but also delves into the mediating influence of metabolic […] Written by Bioengineer July 12, 2025July 12, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Biology Optogenetic and chemical genetic tools for rapid repositioning of vimentin intermediate filaments Intermediate filaments (IFs) are a key component of the cytoskeleton, essential for regulating cell mechanics, maintaining nuclear integrity, organelle positioning, and modulating cell signaling. Current insights into IF function primarily come from studies using long-term perturbations, such as protein depletion or mutation. Here, we present tools that allow rapid manipulation of vimentin IFs in the […] Written by Admin July 10, 2025July 10, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Biology Key Amino Acid Changes Attenuate Yellow Fever Vaccine In a groundbreaking study published in Nature Microbiology, researchers have uncovered the molecular underpinnings that enable the yellow fever 17D vaccine strain to be both highly effective and unusually safe. Through meticulous molecular analyses, Zhang, Chavez, Winkler, and their colleagues have pinpointed specific amino acid substitutions in just two viral proteins that are responsible for […] Written by Bioengineer July 8, 2025July 8, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Biology Sphingolipid synthesis maintains nuclear membrane integrity and genome stability during cell division Lipid synthesis must be precisely regulated to support membrane growth and organelle biogenesis during cell division, yet little is known about how this process is coordinated with other cell cycle events. Here, we show that de novo synthesis of sphingolipids during the S and G2 phases of the cell cycle is essential to increasing nuclear […] Written by Admin July 6, 2025July 6, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Biology Robotic Probe Rapidly Assesses Essential Properties of Novel Materials In the quest to conquer the limitations of semiconductor materials and their application in solar technologies, a pioneering research team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has developed an innovative autonomous robotic system. This advancement comes at a crucial time when the demand for efficient energy sources continues to rise. Researchers face significant bottlenecks […] Written by Bioengineer July 5, 2025July 5, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Disordered Interfacial Water Boosts Electrochemical C–C Coupling In the relentless pursuit to combat climate change, the electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and carbon monoxide (CO) into value-added, energy-rich multi-carbon products has emerged as a beacon of hope. These processes promise not only to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions but also to create sustainable fuel alternatives that could revolutionize the energy landscape. However, […] Written by Bioengineer August 6, 2025August 6, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Leveraging Next-Generation Tsunami Early Warning Systems to Save Lives – State of the Planet Damage from the March 2011 tsunami in downtown Ofunato, Japan. Photo: U.S. Navy When an enormous 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck near Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, the impact reached far beyond its epicenter. In the passing hours, tsunami alerts were issued by several nations with coastlines along the Pacific Ocean’s Ring of Fire, prompting evacuations and escalating […] Written by Guest August 6, 2025August 6, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Disordered Interfacial Water Boosts Electrochemical C–C Coupling In the relentless pursuit to combat climate change, the electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and carbon monoxide (CO) into value-added, energy-rich multi-carbon products has emerged as a beacon of hope. These processes promise not only to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions but also to create sustainable fuel alternatives that could revolutionize the energy landscape. However, […] Written by Bioengineer August 6, 2025August 6, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Leveraging Next-Generation Tsunami Early Warning Systems to Save Lives – State of the Planet Damage from the March 2011 tsunami in downtown Ofunato, Japan. Photo: U.S. Navy When an enormous 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck near Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, the impact reached far beyond its epicenter. In the passing hours, tsunami alerts were issued by several nations with coastlines along the Pacific Ocean’s Ring of Fire, prompting evacuations and escalating […] Written by Guest August 6, 2025August 6, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Crushing vs. Slashing: New skull scans reveal how giant dinosaurs killed A new analysis of the bite strength of 18 species of carnivorous dinosaurs shows that while the Tyrannasaurus rex skull was optimized for quick, strong bites like a crocodile, other giant, predatory dinosaurs that walked on two legs — including spinosaurs and allosaurs — had much weaker bites and instead specialized in slashing and ripping […] Written by Admin August 6, 2025August 6, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Understanding PMDA Validation Rules v5.0 The Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) in Japan has always led the charge in ensuring the safety and efficacy of drug development. Their latest update, the PMDA Validation Rules version 5.0, which took effect on April 1, 2024, marks another significant step in this mission. Let’s break down what these new rules mean and […] Written by Admin July 10, 2024July 10, 2024 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Enhance Your SEND Submissions! Join PointCross on May 29th, 2024, at 12 PM EST / 9 AM PST for a must-attend webinar: The Most Common Issues in Preparing SEND. Ideal for professionals in data submission and regulatory compliance, this webinar offers valuable insights from our seasoned experts. Why Attend? Why PointCross? With over 10 years of experience and more […] Written by Admin May 23, 2024May 23, 2024 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked