Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging (MBIB) Division Director Junko Yano has announced that staff scientists Greg Hura and Susan Tsutakawa have officially assumed the roles of MBIB Science Deputy and Head of the Structural Biology Department, respectively. They have been serving in these positions on an interim basis since August 2021.
Biosciences Researchers Launching Biopreparedness Projects
Two scientists in the Area, Greg Hura and Vivek Mutalik, are heading up research projects that are part of the Department of Energy’s Biopreparedness Research Virtual Environment (BRaVE) initiative. Yasuo Yoshikuni, a scientist at the Joint Genome Institute, is part of a third project that is being led by Brookhaven National Laboratory. These projects will leverage bioimaging expertise to develop better therapies and vaccines for viruses, develop a high-throughput platform to rapidly design countermeasures to drug-resistant pathogens, and unlock the molecular basis of plant-pathogen interactions to create resilient bioenergy crops.
Structures Signal Fresh Targets for Anticancer Drugs
Genentech researchers used a suite of methods, including small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) at the Advanced Light Source (ALS) to learn how an assembly of three proteins works together to transmit signals for cell division. The work reveals new targets for the development of drugs that fight certain types of cancer, including lung, colorectal, and pancreatic.
Deconstructing the Infectious Machinery of the SARS-CoV-2 Virus
Scientists from three national laboratories who specialize in revealing the atomic structure of proteins collaborated to model the complex protein responsible for SARS-CoV-2 replication, revealing potential weak spots for drug development.
Shape-shifting Protein Helps SARS-CoV-2 Evade Human Immune Defenses
Papain-like protease (PLpro) from SARS-CoV-2 plays essential roles in the replication cycle of the virus that is the cause of the global COVID-19 pandemic. In human cells that the virus has infected, PLpro seeks out and binds with the interferon-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15) protein, a key component of the cells’ immune response. PLpro strips ISG15 from other cellular proteins to aid SARS-CoV-2 in evading the body’s immune system.
Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) used small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) at the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) combined with computational techniques to reveal the molecular details of how the two proteins interact. Susan Tsutakawa, a staff scientist in the Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging (MBIB) Division, obtained small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) data on the PLpro-ISG15 complex at Berkeley Lab’s Advanced Light Source (ALS) to augment the SANS work.
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