Proteomics News

Researchers perform fastest measurements ever made of ion channel proteins

Tuesday, May 21, 2013 00:00 MST

A team of researchers at Columbia Engineering has used miniaturized electronics to measure the activity of individual ion-channel proteins with temporal resolution as fine as one microsecond, producing the fastest recordings of single ion channels ever performed. They designed a custom integrated circuit to perform these measurements, in which an artificial cell membrane and ion channel are attached directly to the surface of the amplifier chip.

Proteome atlas for the tuberculosis pathogen

Thursday, May 16, 2013 00:00 MST

Researchers from ETH Zurich have mapped the coordinates for all the proteins of the tuberculosis pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Thanks to this "atlas", scientists are now able to easily find and accurately measure every protein of this bacterium that causes dangerous lung diseases.

Unleashing the watchdog protein

Monday, May 13, 2013 00:00 MST

McGill University researchers have unlocked a new door to developing drugs to slow the progression of Parkinson's disease. Collaborating teams led by Dr. Edward A. Fon at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital -- The Neuro, and Dr. Kalle Gehring in the Department of Biochemistry at the Faculty of Medicine, have discovered the 3-D structure of the protein Parkin.

A trick to fold proteins more quickly

Thursday, May 09, 2013 00:00 MST

A team of researchers of the International School for Advanced Studies of Trieste and of University of Cambridge have devised a method to reduce the time used to simulate how proteins take on their signature three-dimensional shape. Such important information to comprehend their function is usually obtained using often very costly experimental techniques.

Computer simulations reveal the energy landscape of ion channels

Monday, May 06, 2013 00:00 MST

Ion channels are important drug targets. A young team of researchers led by pharmacologist Anna Stary-Weinzinger from the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Vienna investigated the opening and closing mechanisms of these channels. The time consuming calculations were performed using the high performance computer cluster, which is currently the fastest computer in Austria.

Scientists discover how a protein finds its way

Wednesday, May 01, 2013 00:00 MST

Scientists from the Florida campus of the Scripps Research Institute have uncovered how an enzyme co-factor can bestow specificity on a class of proteins with otherwise nonspecific biochemical activity.

Scientists discover new way protein degradation is regulated

Tuesday, April 30, 2013 00:00 MST

Researchers at The Rockefeller University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute have identified the mechanism by which the cell's protein recycler, the proteasome, ramps up its activity to take care of unwanted and potentially toxic proteins. The finding, which has implications for treating muscle wasting neurodegeneration, also suggests that small molecule inhibitors of this mechanism may be clinically useful in treating multiple myeloma.

Bold move forward in molecular analyses

Monday, April 29, 2013 00:00 MST

New metrics for analyzing data from small angle scattering experiments should dramatically improve the ability of scientists to study the structures of macromolecules such as proteins and nanoparticles in solution.

Protein shaped like a spider

Monday, April 29, 2013 00:00 MST

The protein C4BP is similar to a spider in its spatial form with eight "arms." The structure of the "spider body" has recently been described in detail by researchers from the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research in Braunschweig and the Technische Universit�t Darmstadt. This leads the scientists to unconventional ideas -- the protein is possibly suitable as a scaffold for the transport of active pharmaceutical substances, particularly biomolecules.

Science surprise: Toxic protein made in unusual way may explain brain disorder

Tuesday, April 23, 2013 00:00 MST

A bizarre twist on the usual way proteins are made may explain mysterious symptoms in the grandparents of some children with mental disabilities. The discovery may lead to better treatments for older adults with a recently discovered genetic condition, called Fragile X-associated Tremor Ataxia Syndrome.

Research harnesses solar-powered proteins to filter harmful antibiotics from water

Monday, April 22, 2013 00:00 MST

UC research just published in the journal, "Nano Letters," details how solar-powered proteins can be used to filter antibiotics and other harmful compounds from rivers and lakes at a significantly higher rate than present treatment standards.

UNC researchers engineer 'protein switch' to dissect role of cancer's key players

Tuesday, April 16, 2013 00:00 MST

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine have "rationally rewired" some of the cell's smallest components to create proteins that can be switched on or off by command. These "protein switches" can be used to interrogate the inner workings of each cell, helping scientists uncover the molecular mechanisms of human health and disease.

Metabolic fingerprinting: Using proteomics to identify proteins in gymnosperm pollination drops

Monday, April 15, 2013 00:00 MST

Proteomics is a powerful technique for examining the structure and function of the proteome. Proteomics can uncover the relationship between DNA, RNA, and the production of proteins -- enabling the comparison of the genome to the proteome. For organisms that have not yet been sequenced, proteomics facilitates the discovery and identification of proteins. A new study published in the April issue of Applications in Plant Sciences demonstrates the suitability of proteomics in determining the composition of gymnosperm pollination drops.

Protein maintains order in the nucleus

Tuesday, April 09, 2013 00:00 MST

Researchers in Freiburg identify a protein responsible for the correct arrangement of the chromosome centromeres in the nucleus.

Team finds immunity protein that ramps up inflammation, and agents that can block it

Monday, April 08, 2013 00:00 MST

Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have discovered a new biological pathway of innate immunity that ramps up inflammation and then identified agents that can block it, leading to increased survival and improved lung function in animal models of pneumonia. They reported their findings today in Nature Immunology.