One of the most revolutionary discoveries of the century, the CRISPR gene-editing system is built on a bacterial defense mechanism that allows scientists to make precise edits to DNA. Now scientists ...

Viruses and their hosts—whether bacteria, animals, or humans—are locked in a constant evolutionary arms race. Cells evolve ...

We have many things in common with one another, but there are also things about each of us that are unique, like our fingerprints, our genome, and our gut microbiome. We carry trillions of microbes in ...

As it was not possible to narrow the search down to specific enzyme classes, hundreds of possible candidates would normally have had to be tested for activity. However, thanks to a collaboration with ...

Epigenetic drug discovery and development programs have attracted much attention and investment in recent years. This is driven by the potential to develop novel therapeutic strategies that can ...

Scientists have discovered how to target a class of molecular switches called GTPases that are involved in a myriad of diseases from Parkinson's to cancer and have long been thought to be 'undruggable ...

Researchers have solved the X-ray crystal structure of the enzyme that makes obafluorin -- a broad spectrum antibiotic agent made by a fluorescent strain of soil bacteria. This new class of ...

Similar to Alzheimer's disease, the hereditary disease spinocerebellar ataxia type 17 (SCA17) leads to the destruction of brain nerve cells and the premature death of patients. The exact mechanisms of ...

Made up of tiny threads known as cellulose microfibrils, plant cell walls are important for regulating a plant’s growth and protecting them from pests and pathogens. Previously only one route for ...

Scientists at Cambridge have demonstrated a new method for potentially fighting a form of leukemia, by targeting overactive enzymes that can lead to the disease. If the results of mice tests carry ...