Category Archives: Molecular and structural bases of living organisms

The “Cocktail Effect” of Endocrine Disruptors Better Understood

By Graziella Cara | Published: 13 January 2021

Endocrine disruptors can potentially become more harmful if mixed. Following on from research published in 2015, scientists continue to decipher the molecular mechanisms behind this phenomenon known as the “cocktail effect”.

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A New Method for Unlocking the Mysteries of Life

By Graziella Cara | Published: 21 July 2020

Understanding the three-dimensional structure of DNA and RNA and how they interact with other molecules is necessary for the advancement of biomedical research and drug development. A team led by Inserm researcher Valérie Gabelica at the Nucleic acids: natural and artificial regulation laboratory (ARNA, Inserm/CNRS/Université de Bordeaux)[1] has developed an innovative method pairing mass spectrometry with circularly polarized light, enabling better characterization of these different molecular interactions.

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Malaria: Vaccine clinical trial for Pregnant Women yields promising results

By Graziella Cara | Published: 5 February 2020

Malaria infection during pregnancy represents a major public health problem in the regions endemic for the disease, substantially increasing the risks to mothers and their unborn children. For newborns, malaria is linked to low birth weight and an excess risk of mortality. To protect this population, a team of researchers is developing a vaccine at the French National Institute of Blood Transfusion (INTS).

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Atopic dermatitis: how allergens get on our nerves

By Léa Surugue | Published: 7 October 2019

Atopic dermatitis, or eczema, primarily affects infants and children, and manifests itself in hypersensitivity to allergens in the environment. A skin disease characterized by flare-ups, it is often treated with topical anti-inflammatories. A new study shows that immune cells and sensory neurons interact in the skin to form units that can detect allergens and trigger inflammation. A discovery that provides an insight into how atopic dermatitis works, and points the way to new therapeutic possibilities.

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Du nouveau dans l’apprentissage automatique via des systèmes biologiques

By Graziella Cara | Published: 16 September 2019

Alors que les méthodes d’apprentissage automatique sont utilisées dans de nombreux domaines, y compris la santé humaine, leur application au monde du vivant est peu explorée à l’échelle moléculaire. Des chercheurs de l’Inra et de l’Inserm, viennent de réaliser un premier pas dans cette direction en créant un réseau neuronal simple dans un extrait cellulaire de bactérie Escherichia coli.

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The Extraordinary Powers of Bacteria Visualized in Real Time

By Graziella Cara | Published: 23 May 2019

The global spread of antibiotic resistance is a major public health issue and a priority for international microbiology research.

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Human “Jumping Genes” Caught in the Act!

By Graziella Cara | Published: 2 May 2019

Over the course of evolution, the genomes of most living organisms have grown more complex thanks to transposable elements, a.k.a. “jumping genes,” or DNA fragments that can move and copy themselves from one chromosome location to another. Researchers from Inserm, the CNRS, Université Côte d’Azur, and Université de Montpellier were able to capture these “jumping genes” just after they moved.

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The origins of asymmetry: A protein that makes you do the twist

By Lea Roy | Published: 23 November 2018

Asymmetry plays a major role in biology at every scale: think of DNA spirals, the fact that the human heart is positioned on the left, our preference to use our left or right hand … A team from the Institute of biology Valrose (CNRS/Inserm/Université Côte d’Azur), in collaboration with colleagues from the University of Pennsylvania, has shown how a single protein induces a spiral motion in another molecule. Through a domino effect, this causes cells, organs, and indeed the entire body to twist, triggering lateralized behaviour. This research is published in the journal Science on November 23, 2018.

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Pandoravirus: giant viruses invent their own genes

By Lea Roy | Published: 11 June 2018

Three new members have been isolated and added to the Pandoravirus family by researchers at the Structural and Genomic Information Laboratory (CNRS/Aix‐Marseille Université), working with partners at the Large Scale Biology Laboratory (CEA/Inserm/Université Grenoble‐Alpes) and at CEA-Genoscope. This strange family of viruses, with their giant genomes and many genes with no known equivalents, surprised the scientists when they were discovered a few years ago. In the 11 June 2018 edition of Nature Communications, researchers offer an explanation: pandoviruses appear to be factories for new genes – and therefore new functions. From freaks of nature to evolutionary innovators, giant viruses continue to shake branches on the tree of life!

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Reducing Protein Intake to Fight Tumors More Effectively

By Lea Roy | Published: 27 March 2018

What if immune system efficacy against cancerous cells could be reinforced by a diet in which calories are not reduced but nutrients are precisely determined? This what Inserm researchers from Université Côte d’Azur, through a study of the effects of restrictive diets on tumor growth in mice, have been exploring.  They have observed that a low-protein diet restricts tumor development by increasing immune response.  The findings, to be published in Cell metabolism, have proved promising in understanding anti-tumor immunity in mice and pave the way for new studies in humans. 

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