Biosciences researchers conducted the first ever structural analysis of a key protein involved in DNA damage repair and cancer. While the narrative around cancer chemotherapy has historically focused on DNA damage repair pathways, findings from this study underscore the role of RNA-mediated processes on chemotherapy response, which could have major implications for cancer treatment outcomes.
BCSB Confirms Design of Stimulus-responsive, Two-state Proteins
Researchers have leveraged machine learning to create proteins that toggle between two different shapes in response to biological triggers, overcoming a limiting challenge in computational protein design and broadening the potential functionality of designed proteins. Study co-author Banumathi Sankaran, a research scientist in the Molecular Biophysics and Bioimaging Division, used the Advanced Light Source (ALS) beamlines in the Berkeley Center for Structural Biology (BCSB) to validate results with X-ray crystallography data.
Gaining New Insights into Metal Electron Shuttling from XFELs
Metalloenzymes play an important role in biological systems, including physiology, agriculture, and photosynthesis. Understanding the fundamental chemical mechanism of enzymes is critical for optimizing the biochemical pathways for many aspects of life. In a paper published in Acta Crystallographica Section D, scientists in the Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging (MBIB) Division present new computational methods that will enable metalloprotein studies at X-ray Free Electron Laser (XFEL) light sources.
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