January 2009 |
Repeats Lead to DNA Fragility, Neurological Disorders |
January 11, 2009 • Tufts UniversityNIGMS-funded researchers have found that repeating CGG sequences in DNA, which are associated with inherited neurological disorders, stall DNA replication. |
Scientists Develop RNA That Replicates Itself Indefinitely |
January 9, 2009 • Scripps Research InstituteNIGMS-supported scientists have synthesized for the first time RNA enzymes that can indefinitely replicate themselves without the help of proteins or other cellular components. |
Researchers Find New Way Protein Can Function |
January 9, 2009 • Dartmouth CollegeA group of NIGMS-supported researchers has found a new function for one of the proteins involved with chromosome segregation during cell division. |
Scientists Unravel Structure of Breast Cancer Target Enzyme |
January 7, 2009 • Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research InstituteNIGMS-supported researchers have revealed the molecular structure of aromatase, the enzyme targeted by Tamoxifen and other, related drugs. |
Researchers Catch Evolution in the Act |
January 6, 2009 • Washington University in St. LouisA team of NIGMS-supported biologists has discovered that two RNA polymerases found only in plants are specialized forms of an enzyme common to all eukaryotic organisms. |
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December 2008 |
Pulling Protein's Tail Curtails Cancer |
December 30, 2008 • Johns Hopkins Medical InstitutionsNIGMS-funded researchers discovered that removing the tail of a tumor suppressor called PTEN activated the protein, which is often inactive in cancer cells. |
New Technique Reveals Protein Folding, Interaction |
December 23, 2008 • Scripps Research InstituteNIGMS-supported researchers have developed a computational method that predicts how bacterial proteins fold and interact. |
E. coli Engineered to Produce Important Drugs |
December 22, 2008 • University of California, Los AngelesNIGMS-funded researchers have successfully used E. coli to synthesize natural products known as bacterial aromatic polyketides. |
Method Detects Movement in Ion Channels |
December 18, 2008 • University of MontrealA study supported in part by NIGMS developed a way to detect movement within ion channels, which are major drug targets. |
Blocking the Spread of Antibiotic Resistance |
December 18, 2008 • Northwestern UniversityNIGMS-funded researchers discovered that a special DNA sequence in certain bacteria can impede the spread of antibiotic resistance in Staphylococcus. |
New Way Ubiquitin Affects Transcription Machinery |
December 17, 2008 • Cold Spring Harbor LaboratoryNIGMS-funded researchers are deepening their grasp of how adding ubiquitin tags affects transcription. |
A Little Squeeze Is Enough For Proteins to Assess DNA |
December 16, 2008 • University of ArizonaAn NIGMS-funded study shows that DNA-binding proteins don't need to give full-body hugs to accurately read DNA sequence. |
Nerve and Cancer Cells Share Survival Mechanism |
December 15, 2008 • University of North Carolina School of MedicineNIGMS-funded biologists have discovered that nerve cells and cancer cells share common methods to prevent cell death. |
Watching Cell's Pinch in Two |
December 11, 2008 • Scripps Research InstituteUsing a technique that allowed them to watch cells divide in real time, NIGMS-funded researchers have discovered details about how cell membranes allow fission. |
Number of Motors Doesn't Regulate Organelle Transport |
December 11, 2008 • University of RochesterNIGMS-funded biologists have found that the mechanisms that control molecular motors are different from what biologists have previously believed. |
How Translocations Occur at Inception of Lymphoma |
December 11, 2008 • University of Southern CaliforniaNIGMS-funded researchers have charted biochemical steps leading to chromosomal translocations, mutations that occur frequently in blood cancers. |
Three-Dimensional View of Core Replication Machinery |
December 9, 2008 • Vanderbilt UniversityNIGMS-funded researchers have obtained a detailed structure for the core of the replisome, molecular machinery assembled to copy DNA. |
Protein Contributes to Cancer Spread |
December 8, 2008 • Albert Einstein College of MedicineNIGMS-funded researchers have identified a protein, called Menainv, that may be responsible for breast cancer metastasis. |
How a Virus Infects Bacteria |
December 8, 2008 • Penn StateA study supported by NIGMS reveals how some viruses infect E. coli bacteria. |
Alternative Splicing and Heart Development |
December 8, 2008 • Baylor College of MedicineNIGMS-funded researchers are exploring how dynamic shifts in proteins prompt alternative splicing in the developing heart. |
New Histone Demethylase Protein Complex |
December 5, 2008 • Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchNIGMS-funded researchers have discovered a new protein complex that chemically modifies histones, whose interactions with DNA help regulate gene expression. |
New Insights on Cell Division |
December 4, 2008 • University of OregonNIGMS-funded researchers have discovered a mechanism critical to the pinching of cells in two when they divide. |
Clues About Large-Scale Gene Silencing |
December 4, 2008 • Washington University in St. LouisNIGMS-funded researchers are closer to understanding nucleolar dominance, the phenomenon whereby an entire set of ribosomal RNA genes from one parent is silenced. |
Study Proves that Tainted Heparin Caused Reactions |
December 3, 2008 • Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyAn NIGMS-funded study provides epidemiological evidence confirming that a contaminant in batches of heparin caused severe allergic reactions. |
Heparin Contaminant Conclusively Linked to Severe Adverse Reactions |
December 3, 2008 • National Institute of General Medical SciencesAbout a year ago, hundreds of people were sickened and dozens died after receiving the blood thinner heparin. Now, scientists have conclusively proven that a specific contaminant in the medicine was to blame. |
The Genes Behind Gray Mold's Killer Arsenal |
December 1, 2008 • Brown UniversityNIGMS-funded researchers have identified the genetic sequence behind how gray mold kills plants, including many agricultural staples. |
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November 2008 |
Cell Movements Found to Be Modular |
November 30, 2008 • Stanford University Medical CenterNIGMS-supported researchers have shown that distinct groups of proteins each control one of four simple activities involved in the collective migration of cells. |
Scientists Uncover New RNA Processing Mechanism |
November 26, 2008 • Cold Spring Harbor LaboratoryNew NIGMS-supported research sheds light on possible functions of abundant 'noncoding' RNA molecules. |
Scientists Discover New Mode of Epigenetic Inheritance |
November 26, 2008 • Cold Spring Harbor LaboratoryA team of NIGMS-supported scientists has discovered that a class of small RNAs carries epigenetic information and passes on the trait of fertility from mother to offspring in fruit flies. |
Researchers Identify a Potentially Universal Mechanism of Aging |
November 26, 2008 • Harvard Medical SchoolNIGMS-supported researchers have discovered that DNA damage decreases a cell's ability to regulate gene activities, which may represent a universal culprit for aging. |
New Insight Into Adaptive Ability of Cells |
November 26, 2008 • Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchA new NIGMS-supported study sheds light on how cells adapt to disruptions in cell division—findings that may help explain how cancer cells elude the body's defenses. |
Tiny Protein Provokes Bonding Between Cells |
November 25, 2008 • Johns Hopkins UniversityAlpha-catenin allows cells to recognize neighboring cells as ‘friends’, leading to strong bonds that are hard to break, according to a new NIGMS-supported study. |
Scientists Shed Light on How DNA Is Unwound |
November 24, 2008 • The Scripps Research InstituteNIGMS-supported researchers have figured out how a molecular machine unwinds DNA tangles so that the genetic information can be read and used. |
Internal Clocks Help Hybrid Plants Grow Bigger |
November 24, 2008 • University of Texas, AustinHybrid plants grow bigger than their parents because many of their metabolism genes are more active during the day, report NIGMS-researchers. |
Cancer Cell ‘Bodyguard’ Turned Into Killer |
November 24, 2008 • Oregon State UniversityNIGMS-supported researchers have developed a peptide that converts the Bcl-2 protein from a cancer cell's friend to a foe. |
Scientists Present New Insights on Bacterial Decision-Making |
November 21, 2008 • North Carolina State UniversityNIGMS-supported biochemists have answered a fundamental question about how a key class of bacterial proteins binds DNA and controls a variety of functions. |
Cells Change Shape to Fit the Situation |
November 21, 2008 • University of PennsylvaniaAs cells bend, they reorganize their internal scaffolding, and as they reorganize the scaffolding, the cells further adjust their shape, according to a new NIGMS-supported study. |
Blood Component Turns Bacteria Virulent |
November 20, 2008 • The Scripps Research InstituteNIGMS-supported scientists have discovered the key chemical that signals Bacillus anthracis, the bacterium that causes anthrax, to become lethal. |
New Insights on Regulation of Key Enzyme |
November 19, 2008 • St. Jude Children's Research HospitalA study supported in part by NIGMS is providing new insights on the regulation of calpains, enzymes involved in diseases ranging from diabetes to Alzheimer's. |
New Clue to Stopping Breast Cancer Spread |
November 17, 2008 • University of North Carolina School of MedicineA team of NIGMS-supported scientists has reduced the ability of breast cancer cells to migrate by knocking down levels of a protein called palladin. |
Breaking Enzyme Mimics Genetic Shuffle Seen in Cancer |
November 17, 2008 • Fox Chase Cancer CenterA study of how the enzyme, BubR1, helps distribute chromosomes evenly during cell division might explain how the process goes awry in cancer, according to NIGMS-supported researchers. |
Researchers Detail New Class of Catalysts |
November 16, 2008 • Boston CollegeA new class of exceptionally effective catalysts that promote the powerful olefin metathesis reaction has been discovered by a team of NIGMS-supported scientists. |
Genetic Switch Helps Cilia Beat Path to Asymmetry |
November 16, 2008 • Salk InstituteA new NIGMS-supported study reveals how a genetic switch known as FoxJ1 helps developing embryos tell their left from their right. |
New Gene Silencing Pathway Found in Plants |
November 14, 2008 • Washington UniversityNIGMS-supported biologists have made headway in explaining a mechanism by which plant cells silence potentially harmful genes. |
Gene Mobilizes Yeast Cells to Cooperate Against Threats |
November 13, 2008 • Harvard UniversityA single gene drives yeast cells to cooperate in protecting themselves from stress, antibiotics, and other dangers, according to a new NIGMS-supported study. |
Without Enzyme Cellular Process Takes 2.3 Billion Years |
November 11, 2008 • University of North Carolina School of MedicineThe biosynthesis of hemoglobin and chlorophyll would take 2.3 billion years—half the earth’s age—without a key cellular enzyme. |
Researchers Tackle Deadly Infections |
November 11, 2008 • University of Michigan Health SystemA team of NIGMS-supported researchers have combined medicine, math and engineering to reveal how sepsis occurs and how to prevent it. |
Global Alliance for Pharmacogenomics Expands |
November 10, 2008 • National Institute of General Medical SciencesU.S. and Japanese scientists expand their pharmacogenomics collaboration with five new projects. |
Human Genes Sing Different Tunes |
November 2, 2008 • Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyNIGMS-supported researchers have shown that a phenomenon known as alternative splicing varies more between tissues than was previously believed. |
Bacterial Clustering Triggers Blood Clotting |
November 2, 2008 • University of ChicagoBlood clots, which sometimes form during severe bacterial infections, arise in response to bacterial clustering, according to an NIGMS-supported study. |
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October 2008 |
Genetic Clockmakers Craft Bacterial Timepiece |
October 29, 2008 • University of California, San DiegoNIGMS-supported bioengineers have created the first stable, fast and programmable genetic clock that reliably keeps time by the blinking of fluorescent proteins inside E. coli cells. |
Protein Compass Guides Amoebas Toward Their Prey |
October 23, 2008 • University of California, San DiegoAmoebas glide toward their prey with the help of a protein switch that controls a molecular compass, according to a new NIGMS-supported study. |
Mapping a Clan of Mobile Selfish Genes |
October 22, 2008 • Emory UniversityAlu retrotransposons are by far the most abundant class of jumping genes in our genome, according to a new NIGMS-supported study. |
Antibiotic Sets Up Road Block to Kill Bacteria |
October 22, 2008 • Ohio State UniversityNIGMS-supported scientists have moved toward developing more effective antibacterials by pinpointing how a specific antibiotic blocks bacterial growth. |
New $11 Million Center to Speed Production of New Compounds for Drug Discovery |
October 20, 2008 • University of ChicagoWith support from NIGMS, scientists from three Chicago-area universities have joined forces to develop new ways of building chemical libraries that will help identify compounds for drug development and basic biomedical research. |
Switch Triggers Cancer-Like Response in Stem Cells |
October 17, 2008 • Forsyth InstituteNIGMS-funded researchers have shown that electrical signals are a powerful control mechanism for modulating embryonic stem cell behavior. |
Engineers Build First-Ever Multi-Input Synthetic RNA Device |
October 17, 2008 • California Institute of TechnologyNIGMS-supported engineers have created a synthetic RNA device that is capable of taking in and responding to more than one signal at a time. |
Findings May Lead to Broad-Spectrum Antibiotics |
October 16, 2008 • Rutgers UniversityNIGMS-funded scientists have shown how three antibiotics block the action of RNA polymerase, paving the way for more potent antibiotics. |
Computer Model Reveals Cells' Inner Workings |
October 16, 2008 • Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyNIGMS-funded researchers are using a computational model to study how cells process chemical information, which could improve the efficacy of drug treatments. |
Molecular Origins of Proportional Development |
October 13, 2008 • Cincinnati Children's HospitalNIGMS-funded developmental biologists have traced basic, molecular information on how different-sized animals develop bodies that are in proportion. |
How DNA Replication Works As Stem Cells Differentiate |
October 13, 2008 • Florida State UniversityNIGMS-funded researchers have tracked how DNA copying gets reorganized as embryonic stem cells become specialized. |
Studying Sperm Proteins to Understand Infertility |
October 10, 2008 • San Francisco State UniversityNIGMS-funded researchers are showing how proteomics can be used to identify which proteins in sperm are dysfunctional in certain cases of infertility. |
New Data Resource to Advance Computer-Aided Drug Design |
October 9, 2008 • National Institute of General Medical SciencesThe University of Michigan will lead an NIGMS-supported effort to expand and enhance the molecular data needed to develop computer programs that more accurately predict potential drug candidates. |
NIGMS Grantees Recognized with Nobel Prize in Chemistry |
October 8, 2008 • National Institute of General Medical SciencesThree NIGMS grantees are honored with a Nobel Prize in chemistry for their groundbreaking work on green fluorescent protein. |
Genome of Malaria Species Decoded |
October 8, 2008 • New York University School of MedicineA parasitologist funded by NIGMS headed a team of researchers that has decoded the genome of the parasite that causes 40 percent of malaria infections. |
Structure of Important Neurological Receptor |
October 6, 2008 • Scripps Research InstituteNIGMS-funded biologists have solved the structure of an adenosine receptor that could lead to drugs for neurological disorders. |
Bioengineers Fill Holes in Science of Cellular Self-Organization |
October 6, 2008 • University of California, San DiegoNIGMS-funded bioengineers are developing models for how cell populations order themselves. |
Technique for Solving Protein Structures May Lead to Better Antibiotics |
October 1, 2008 • University of VirginiaUsing NMR to solve the structure of an integral membrane protein, NIGMS-funded researchers have paved the way to creating better antibiotics. |
Short RNAs Show a Long History |
October 1, 2008 • Whitehead Institute for Biomedical ResearchNIGMS-funded researchers have discovered that microRNAs, which help regulate genes, have been around since the earliest of animal lineages. |
NIGMS Pledges Over $48 Million to Create Chemical Techniques and Libraries |
October 1, 2008 • National Institute of General Medical SciencesNIGMS pledges over $48 million over 5 years to support five Centers of Excellence in Chemical Methodologies and Library Development (CMLD). |
Cell Death and the Ends of Chromosomes |
October 1, 2008 • University of UtahNIGMS-funded biologists have shown that losing just one telomere can lead to many abnormalities in a cell's chromosomes. |
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September 2008 |
Molecular Gymnastics in Gene Regulation |
September 29, 2008 • Brandeis UniversityAn NIGMS-funded study shows how a protein bends DNA into tight loops to regulate gene expression. |
Technique Can Control Protein Activity |
September 28, 2008 • Stanford University Medical CenterNIGMS-funded researchers have developed a way to pair proteins with a drug that prevents proteins from being degraded. |
Technique Could Make Malaria Treatment Less Costly |
September 26, 2008 • University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignNIGMS-funded researchers have developed a way to mass-produce an antimalarial compound. Related molecules have antibiotic properties. |
Model Suggests How Cholesterol Interacts With Important Proteins |
September 26, 2008 • University of PennsylvaniaNIGMS-funded researchers have clarified how cholesterol interacts with neurotransmitter receptors involved in inflammation and a range of diseases. |
Innovative Imaging Technique Reveals Molecular Details |
September 25, 2008 • Georgia Institute of TechnologyNIGMS-funded researchers are developing new tools based on mass spectrometry to visualize things like tissue slices or organisms in biofilms. |
A New Gateway to Protein Structures |
September 23, 2008 • Rutgers UniversityA new window onto the world of protein structure has been opened with the launch of the NIGMS-funded PSI-Nature Structural Genomics Knowledgebase. |
Trawling Through Fish DNA Yields Insight for Mammals |
September 19, 2008 • Johns Hopkins MedicineA study supported in part by NIGMS has discovered master controllers of a gene critical to mammalian development. |
The Networks That Regulate Alternative RNA Splicing |
September 19, 2008 • Cold Spring Harbor LaboratoryNIGMS-funded researchers have traced the biochemical processes that enable alternative proteins to be made from some of the same genes. |
Genetic Links Between Nervous and Immune Systems |
September 19, 2008 • Duke University Medical CenterNIGMS-funded researchers have discovered evidence of cross talk between the nervous system and the immune system in roundworms. |
Programmed Cell Death Contributes Force to Cell |
September 18, 2008 • Duke UniversityNIGMS-funded biophysicists have discovered that apoptosis can exert substantial mechanical force on surrounding cells. |
How Cells Accessorize Their Proteins |
September 18, 2008 • St. Jude Children's Research HospitalResearchers supported in part by NIGMS have determined how an enzyme that stitches important molecular adjustments onto proteins regulates its own function. |
Newly Discovered Genes Regulate Stem Cell Function |
September 17, 2008 • Forsyth InstituteNIGMS-funded researchers have discovered genes in planaria flatworms that are also used in mammalian stem cell regulatory pathways. |
Human Skin Cells Reprogrammed To Produce Insulin |
September 17, 2008 • University of North CarolinaNIGMS-funded researchers transformed human skin cells into pluripotent stem cells and then to cells that can make the hormone insulin. |
Honeybee Venom Leads to New Tool for Studying Hypertension |
September 16, 2008 • University of Pennsylvania School of MedicineNIGMS-funded researchers have modified a honeybee venom toxin to use it as a tool to study ion channels that control heart rate and salt recycling. |
Blood Pressure Drug Combination Reduces Heart Attack Deaths |
September 16, 2008 • Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNIGMS-funded researchers are calling into question current treatment guidelines for high blood pressure with a study about the benefits of combining drugs. |
NIGMS Grantees Honored With Top U.S. Science Prize for Discovering Tiny, Regulatory RNAs |
September 15, 2008 • National Institute of General Medical SciencesTwo long-time NIGMS grantees, Victor R. Ambros, Ph.D., and Gary B. Ruvkun, Ph.D., have received the 2008 Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research. |
Circadian Clock Genes Control Plant Growth |
September 15, 2008 • University of California, San DiegoBiologists funded by NIGMS have identified genes that permit plants to grow in spurts at night. |