Researchers use EPR spectroscopy to learn more about Parkinson protein
The protein α-synuclein is one of the most abundant proteins in the human brain. It is often referred to as the Parkinson protein , as deposition of this protein in brain cells is a hallmark of Parkinson s disease.
Despite the high interest of biomedical research in the protein, many questions concerning the function and physiology of α-synuclein in living cells still remain to be answered. For example, it was previously unclear whether and to what extent the protein binds to and interacts with internal cell components such as membranes.
As such processes could play a role in the development of the disease, the team led by Konstanz-based physical chemist Professor Malte Drescher used the further development of an established measurement method called electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR spectroscopy) to learn more about the binding properties of the Parkinson protein .
Study: Graphene nanoparticles interfere with the development of anxiety-related behaviors in vertebrates
New research shows that the nanomaterial acts on the excitatory synapses, interfering with the development of anxiety related behaviors in vertebrates.
Effective, specific, with a reversible and non-harmful action: the identikit of the perfect biomaterial seems to correspond to graphene flakes, the subject of a new study carried out by SISSA - International School for Advanced Studies of Trieste, Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2) of Barcelona and the National Graphene Institute of the University of Manchester, in the framework of the European Graphene Flagship project.
This nanomaterial has demonstrated the ability to interact with the functions of the nervous system in vertebrates in a very specific manner, interrupting the building up of a pathological process that leads to anxiety related behavior.
Narrowing down on small molecular inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 key protease
A recent methodological study by researchers from the University of Luxembourg shows that the combination of virtual screening approaches, molecular dynamics simulations and machine learning can substantially facilitate small molecule screening investigations targeted at key SARS-CoV-2 viral proteins. Their findings are currently available on the
bioRxiv preprint server.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is still a major challenge for healthcare systems and economies worldwide. And while vaccines are being rolled out all over the world, the available drug-based therapies are still lacking.
Researchers in the US recently infected a series of human lung and head/neck cancer cell lines with SARS-CoV-2 that expressed varying levels of ACE2 and the TMPRSS2 protease to reassess their role in viral entrance.