Simulations on biologically relevant time scales

12-Jun-2020

Molecular dynamics simulations (MD) have become an ubiquitous tool in modern life sciences. In these simulations, the interactions between atoms and molecules and their resulting spatial movements are iteratively calculated and analyzed. Scientists are currently trying to gain access to ...

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How to control individual components of self-assembling molecular structures

08-May-2020

In the development of autonomous systems and materials, self-assembling molecular structures controlled by chemical reaction networks are increasingly important. However, there is a lack of simple external mechanisms that ensure that the components of these reaction networks can be activated in a ...

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Open source platform enables the free and transparent overview of COVID-19 genome informations

28-Feb-2020

Dr. Wolfgang Maier and Dr. Björn Grüning from the University of Freiburg, together with researchers from universities in Belgium, Australia and the USA, have reviewed the previously available data on sequences of the novel coronavirus and published their analyses on the open source platform ...

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Helpful Oxygen Carriers

19-Feb-2020

Enzymes with flavin cofactor play an important part in plants, fungi, bacteria and animals: as oxygenases they incorporate oxygen into organic compounds. For instance this allows people to excrete foreign substances more effectively. Until now scientists were agreed that such flavin-dependent ...

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This mechanism could improve immune therapies for cancer

13-Feb-2020

A simple mechanism, previously known from bacteria, ensures that the immune system strikes a balance between the rapid expansion of immune cells and the prevention of an excessive self-damaging reaction after an infection. This has now been deciphered by scientists at the University of Freiburg - ...

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Researchers engineer tiny particles with sugar molecules to prevent side effect in cancer therapy

06-Feb-2020

In the past decade nanomedicine has contributed to better detection and treatment of cancer. Nanoparticles are several 100 times smaller than the smallest grain of sand and can therefore easily travel in the blood stream to reach the tumor. However, they are still too big to be removed by the ...

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04-Feb-2020

T cells play a huge role in our immune system's fight against modified cells in the body that can develop into cancer. Phagocytes and B cells identify changes in these cells and activate the T cells, which then start a full-blown program of destruction. This functions well in many cases - unless ...

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19-Dec-2019

A large part of the work inside cells is done by proteins acting as enzymes, transporters, channels, motors, supporting pillars and signaling devices. Proteins are three-dimensionally folded chains of diverse amino acids in a genetically encoded sequence. Whereas scientists have already succeeded ...

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05-Dec-2019

Several hundred different cell types of the adult human body are formed during embryonic development, starting from just a few identical stem cells. The differentiation potential of the cells is progressively restricted in the course of this process, causing changes in their morphology and ...

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Sensor prototype can rapidly, precisely, and cost-effectively measure molecular signals for cancer

26-Nov-2019

The CRISPR/Cas technology can do more than alter genes. A research team at the University of Freiburg is using what are known as gene scissors – which scientists can use to edit genetic material – in order to better diagnose diseases such as cancer. In a study, the researchers introduce a ...

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