UC San Diego researchers used bioinformatics to identify a promising regenerative therapy for spinal cord injury, showing effectiveness in adult human brain cells and paving the way for future clinical trials.

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Professor Hiro Furukawa and postdoc Hyunook Kang have identified the molecular mechanisms that keep the brain’s NMDA receptors fully or partially open. These neurological ‘doorstops’ could point the way to new therapies for strokes, Alzheimer’s disease, and other neurodegenerative conditions.

Oats are considered particularly healthy. They provide fibre, lower cholesterol levels and are gluten-free. However, the genetic makeup of oats has been difficult to understand until now, mainly because it is particularly large and complex. An international research team led by the IPK Leibniz Institute has succeeded in creating a pangenome of oats and has also investigated when and where the genes are active in different parts of the plant. Today, the results were published in Nature.

During cell division, chromosomal abnormalities – defects in chromosome number or structure – can occur, which can cause particularly aggressive forms of cancer. A new study has shed light on how chromosomal abnormalities arise in normal cells, the rates at which they do so, and how these rates are affected by various factors. To do this, the scientists developed a novel and versatile artificial intelligence (AI) tool called MAGIC, which combines automated microscopy and image analysis with single-cell genome sequencing. Understanding the molecular origins of cancer in this way could pave the way for better genetic detection tools and potential medical prevention strategies in the future.

Ribosomes are complex molecular machines that translate genetic code into proteins essential for all life. Researchers have used AI and other cutting-edge techniques to create the first near-continuous "molecular movie" of ribosome formation, capturing sixteen stages that show how this fundamental cellular machine comes together in real time. The work establishes a new paradigm for studying dynamic molecular machines, setting the stage for AI-driven structural biology that will capture life's core processes in motion.