Our remarkable ability to perform complex tasks—such as thinking, observing, and touch—stems from proteins, the tiny nanometer-sized molecules in the body. Despite decades of research, our ...

Cryogenic optical microscopy uncovers multiple conformations of PIEZO1 in cell membranes, offering atomic-scale insights into how cells sense force. The team focused on PIEZO1, a mechanosensitive ion ...

Two proteins found on the surface of motor neurons in the brain may be essential in the progression of Parkinson's disease, ...

Collaboration between researchers at the University of Geneva, Institut de biologie structurale de Grenoble, and the University of Fribourg has shown how lipids and proteins in cell membranes react in ...

Microscopy continues to transform the life sciences. Here are five recent breakthroughs made possible by the technique.

Cells do more than carry out chemical reactions. New theoretical work suggests they may also generate usable electrical ...

Scientists at the Utrecht University in the Netherlands say they have identified a new way in which the toxic protein aggregates associated with Huntington’s disease may damage nerve cells and cause ...

Researchers have determined that condensates are electrically charged droplets that can induce voltage changes across the ...

Electron microscopy has become a vital tool in structural biology, enabling researchers to visualize biological macromolecules at near-atomic resolution. Recent advances have transformed it from a low ...

Fluorescent image of PIEZO1 in native cell membrane (left) and an artistic representation of its conformational states resolved with Ångström precision (right). Our remarkable ability to perform ...