A massive advance in spectrometry

Study results may lead to more accurate medical, biological, and chemical tests

21-Jan-2021 - Mass spectrometers (MS) have become essential tools in chemistry and biology laboratories. The ability to quickly identify the chemical components in a sample allows them to take part in a diverse array of experiments, including radiocarbon dating, protein analysis, and monitoring drug ...

Virulence factor of the influenza A virus mapped in real-time

22-May-2019 - The influenza A viruses, which have instigated deadly pandemics in the past, still remain a major global public health problem until today. Molecules known as virulence factors are produced by bacteria, viruses, and fungi to help them to infect host cells. One of virulence factors found in the ...

Bioactive novel compounds from endangered tropical plant species

30-Oct-2018 - It is well known that natural products are valuable resources for drug discovery and development. In particular, plant-derived natural products have greatly contributed to the area of cancer chemotherapeutics. Many antitumor drugs currently in clinical use, such as paclitaxel, vinca alkaloids ...

Lipids and proteins: Further evidence for functional crosstalk in cells

19-Jun-2018 - Researchers at Kanazawa University have uncovered the role of lipids in facilitating a functional switch between two forms of a cellular enzyme: Peroxiredoxin (Prxs). Their study published in the Journal of Molecular Biology explains how negatively charged membrane lipids can bind to Prxs, and ...

Synergy of two catalysts in one flask

Exploration of a new chemical synthesis process for medications

15-Mar-2018 - Most medications, agricultural chemicals and functional materials, indispensable for maintaining and improving our lives, are composed of organic molecules. Organic synthesis using a catalyst is the method for the rapid and large scale supply of such organic molecules without imposing a heavy ...

Next generation solvent contributes to next generation biofuel production from biomass

05-Dec-2017 - The first-generation biofuel, industrialized, ethanol, is produced from foodstuffs like maize, and thus poses great concern about a possible future shortage of food. It is therefore necessary to produce ethanol from non-food biomass like weeds, waste paper, paper cup, etc. (second-generation ...

Genetic engineering mechanism visualized

Visualization of the dynamics of ‘molecular scissors’

13-Nov-2017 - One of the techniques used in genetic engineering — the process of artificially modifying the genome of a living organism — involves the so-called CRISPR-Cas9 nuclease system. Using this system, a cell’s DNA can be cut at a desired site, where genes can be deleted or added. Selection of the ...

Colon cancer nuclear pore dynamics are captured by HS-AFM

04-Jul-2017 - One of the key reasons for cancer mortality is caused by the highly invasive behaviour of cancer cells, which is often due to aggressive metastasis. Metastasis is facilitated by various growth factors and cytokines secreted from cells of the immune system, which operate through various signaling ...

The guide to biomolecular movie-making

08-Jan-2013 - High-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM) is providing the means to produce dramatic footage of moving biomolecules, and scientists at Kanazawa University leading the field. Toshio Ando and co-workers at Kanazawa University have developed and used HS-AFM to increase our understanding of several ...