Pr Press Articles, Journals and News
PHENIX, a software suite launched 17 years ago at Berkeley Lab to automate the analysis of structural biology data, has received $9.3 million from the National Institutes of Health for continued development. The grant will support the use of PHENIX to build and refine models to solve three-dimensional macromolecular structures.
A new algorithmic framework called M-TIP helps researchers determine the molecular structure of proteins and viruses from X-ray free electron laser data, which is crucial in fields like biology and medicine.
Findings point to new ways of addressing human baldness, unwanted hair
Electrostatic forces known as phosphate steering help guide the actions of an enzyme called FEN1 that is critical in DNA replication and repair, finds a new study led by Berkeley Lab researchers. The findings help explain how FEN1 distinguishes which strands of DNA to target, revealing key details about a vital process in healthy cells as well as providing new directions for cancer treatment research.
![<p>(left) Fluorescence images of archaeal cells in skin wipe samples; the ALS was used to measure infrared absorption spectra of different Archaea types. (right) The hierachical chart of the human skin archaeome with Thaumarchaeota (red), Euryarchaeota (green), and Crenarchaeota (blue). [Click for larger version]</p>](/static/web/images/articles-thumb/Berkeley-Lab-archaea-150x150.jpg)
It turns out your skin is crawling with single-celled microorganisms – and they’re not just bacteria. A study by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the Medical University of Graz has found that the skin microbiome also contains archaea, a type of extreme-loving microbe, and that the amount of it varies with age.
Scientists at Berkeley Lab and Michigan State University are providing the clearest view yet of an intact bacterial microcompartment, revealing at atomic-level resolution the structure and assembly of the organelle’s protein shell. This work could benefit research in bioenergy and pathogenesis, and it could lead to new methods of bioengineering bacteria for beneficial purposes.
The mechanisms that separate mixtures of oil and water may also help the organization of a part of our DNA called heterochromatin, according to a new Berkeley Lab study. Researchers found that liquid-liquid phase separation helps heterochromatin organize large parts of the genome into specific regions of the nucleus. The work addresses a long-standing question about how DNA functions are organized in space and time, including how genes are silenced or expressed.
X-ray experiments at Berkeley Lab, coupled with theoretical work, revealed how oxygen atoms embedded very near the surface of a copper sample had a more dramatic effect on the early stages of a reaction with carbon dioxide than earlier theories could account for. This work could prove useful in designing new types of materials to make reactions more efficient in converting carbon dioxide into liquid fuels and other products.
UCI’s Project CRYSTAL integrates classroom and outdoor learning experiences
Scientists have sequenced the genome of a green alga that has drawn commercial interest as a strong producer of quality lipids for biofuel production. The chromosome-assembly genome of Chromochloris zofingiensis provides a blueprint for new discoveries in producing sustainable biofuels, antioxidants, and other valuable bioproducts.
