Protein may protect against Lyme disease bacteria

A protein appears to protect against the infection that causes Lyme disease. It may be an early warning for the immune system, research with mice shows.

Bess Connolly Martell-Yale • futurity
Nov. 16, 2020 • ~3 min

Truncated immune system receptors may regulate cellular activity

Unexpected findings in chemokine receptors once believed to be non-functional open up new fields of scientific inquiry.

Michaela Jarvis | MIT Media Lab • mit
Oct. 28, 2020 • ~7 min

Smoothie time? Pig blood becomes protein powder

An enzyme from papayas can turn pig blood into protein powder, report researchers. Right now, the blood ends up in animal feed.

Michael Skov Jensen-Copenhagen • futurity
Oct. 26, 2020 • ~4 min

SARS-CoV-2 infection can block pain, opening up unexpected new possibilities for research into pain relief medication

The SARS-CoV-2 virus usually infects the body via the ACE2 protein. But there is another entry point that allows the virus to infect the nervous system and block pain perception.

Rajesh Khanna, Professor of Anesthesiology, University of Arizona • conversation
Sept. 21, 2020 • ~8 min

How the coronavirus hijacks human cells to spread itself

Researchers have figured out a mechanism SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, uses to co-opt infected human cells to boost its own replication.

Fabio Bergamin-ETH Zurich • futurity
Sept. 18, 2020 • ~5 min

9 reasons you can be optimistic that a vaccine for COVID-19 will be widely available in 2021

As grim as things are with the pandemic raging in the US and the mounting death toll, there are many reasons to be optimistic there will be a vaccine by early next year.

William Petri, Professor of Medicine, University of Virginia • conversation
Aug. 20, 2020 • ~9 min

Team creates vesicles without any lipids

Scientists have created hollow, spherical sacks called vesicles by using protein and RNA, not lipids.

Charlotte Hsu-Buffalo • futurity
July 21, 2020 • ~7 min

Why frogs are green to the bone

Why are frogs green? Their color comes from a clever biochemical workaround that combines an odd protein choice and a potential poison in the blood.

Karl Bates-Duke • futurity
July 14, 2020 • ~6 min

Stuff in capers activates key proteins in brain and heart

A compound in pickled capers called quercetin can directly regulate proteins required for heartbeat, thought, muscular contraction, and more.

Anne Warde-UC Irvine • futurity
July 13, 2020 • ~4 min

Stuff in capers activates brain and heart health proteins

A compound in pickled capers called quercetin can directly regulate proteins required for heartbeat, thought, muscular contraction, and more.

Anne Warde-UC Irvine • futurity
July 13, 2020 • ~4 min

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