Month: December 2015

Cool Images: A Holiday-Themed Collection

1 comment

Here are some images from our gallery that remind us of the winter holidays—and showcase important findings and innovations in biomedical research.

Ribbons and Wreaths

Wreath

This wreath represents the molecular structure of a protein, Cas4, which is part of a system, known as CRISPR, that bacteria use to protect themselves against viral invaders. The green ribbons show the protein’s structure, and the red balls show the location of iron and sulfur molecules important for the protein’s function. Scientists have harnessed Cas9, a different protein in the bacterial CRISPR system, to create a gene-editing tool known as CRISPR-Cas9. Using this tool, researchers can study a range of cellular processes and human diseases more easily, cheaply and precisely. Last week, Science magazine recognized the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool as the “breakthrough of the year.”

Continue reading “Cool Images: A Holiday-Themed Collection”

Recognition for CRISPR Gene-Editing Tool

3 comments

The CRISPR gene-editing tool was recognized today by Science magazine as its “breakthrough of the year.” We support a number of researchers working in this exciting area and have featured it on this blog. To learn more about this exceptionally promising new method, see below for our illustrated explanation of the CRISPR system and its possible applications.

How the CRISPR System Works

Illustration of CRISPR system

The CRISPR system has two components joined together: a finely tuned targeting device (a small strand of RNA programmed to look for a specific DNA sequence) and a strong cutting device (an enzyme called Cas9 that can cut through a double strand of DNA).

CRISPR system in a cell

Once inside a cell, the CRISPR system locates the DNA it is programmed to find. The CRISPR seeking device recognizes and binds to the target DNA (circled, black).

The Cas9 enzyme cuts both strands of the DNA.

New genetic material incorporated into the broken DNA

Researchers can insert into the cell new sections of DNA. The cell automatically incorporates the new DNA into the gap when it repairs the broken DNA.

CRISPR has many possible uses, including:

  • Insert a new gene so the organism produces useful medicines.
  • Help treat genetic diseases.
  • Create tailor-made organisms to study human diseases.
  • Help produce replacements for damaged or diseased tissues and organs.

Sugar Rush in Research

0 comments
Cookies
Sugar sprinkled on cookies and other treats is often an attractive—and sweet tasting—finishing touch. But the sugar-rich coating that surrounds most cells is far more—it’s a vital ingredient for many basic cellular processes. Credit: Stock image.

Simple sugars such as sucrose (found in the sugar bowl) and fructose (in fruits and honey) provide the sweet finishing touches on many holiday treats. But did you know that versions of these molecules also serve important functions in our cells?

Cells assemble sugar molecules into chains known as glycans. These glycans, which can be linear or branching, play an astounding number of biological roles. When bound to proteins called lectins, they enable a fertilized egg to attach properly onto a woman’s uterine wall and help immune cells move out of a blood vessel to the site of an infection. When decorated with specific patterns of molecules called sulfates, glycans can help direct the growth of nerves. And it’s the glycans found on our blood cells that define blood type (A, B, AB or O). Continue reading “Sugar Rush in Research”

Bacterial Biofilms: A Charged Environment

1 comment
Bacillus subtilis biofilm
A Bacillus subtilis biofilm grown in a Petri dish. Credit: Süel Lab, UCSD.

Last summer, we shared findings from Gürol Süel Exit icon and colleagues at the University of California, San Diego, that bacterial cells in tight-knit microbial communities called biofilms expand in a stop-and-go pattern. The researchers concluded that this pattern helps make food at the nutrient-rich margin available to the cells in the starved center, but they didn’t know how. They’ve now shown that the cells use electrochemical signaling to communicate and cooperate with each other.

Because nutrients and other signals cells use to sense each other and their environment move rather slowly, the researchers looked for a faster, more active communication system in biofilms of the bacterium B. subtilis. They focused on electrical signaling via potassium, a positively charged ion that, for example, our nerve and muscle cells use to send or receive signals. Continue reading “Bacterial Biofilms: A Charged Environment”

Cracking a Ubiquitous Code

0 comments

We asked the heads of our scientific divisions to tell us about some of the big questions in fundamental biomedical science that researchers are investigating with NIGMS support. This article is the third in an occasional series that explores these questions and explains how pursuing the answers could advance understanding of important biological processes.

Ubiquitin (Ub) molecules
Ubiquitin (Ub) molecules attached to proteins can form possibly hundreds of different shapes. Credit: NIGMS.

Researchers are on a quest to crack a code made by ubiquitin, a small protein that plays a big role in coordinating cellular function. By attaching to other proteins, ubiquitin determines what those proteins should do next.

Just as zip codes direct letters to specific towns, the ubiquitin code might direct one protein to help with DNA repair, another to assist in cell division, and a third to transport molecules into and out of cells. Continue reading “Cracking a Ubiquitous Code”