Cross-section of a cell expressing a green fluorescently tagged protein and illuminated by a blue laser, surrounded by a vortex of cells. The illustration depicts the principle of image-enabled cell sorting.
Now, flow cytometry has received a major upgrade: EMBL researchers, in collaboration with BD Biosciences, have developed a new breakthrough technology, combining cell sorting and imaging, that allows revolutionary insights into biological processes.
The platform is called image-based cell sorting (ICS) and will have applications in diverse life science fields. The Steinmetz and Cuylen groups at EMBL Heidelberg used ICS in a number of ground-breaking applications, including functional genomic screens and mitotic phase sorting. ICS brings a much-needed update to the 50-year-old field of flow cytometry, finally allowing cell sorters to ‘see’ more clearly.
Link in bio to EMBL.org/news to find out more.
Credit: Tobias Wüstefeld / Illustratoren.de
#embl #science #research #biology #sciencephoto #scicomm #scienceiscool #instascience #sciart #microscopy #fluorescent #fluorescentmicroscopy #flowcytometry #cells #cellbiology #developmentalbiology #protein #organelles #genome #genomicscreen #mitosis
Snapshots of the human U2 snRNP complex, a complex made up of proteins and RNA that is involved in the processing of messenger RNA (mRNA). As part of a bigger molecular machinery called the spliceosome, U2 snRNP recognises short stretches of mRNA called branch sites which are a signature of introns - longer mRNA stretches that the cell needs to cut out to obtain a functional mRNA molecule.
The Galej group at EMBL Grenoble used cryo-electron microscopy to obtain these snapshots and determine the molecular structure of U2 snRNP. With the help of these results, they were able to show how different proteins that make up the spliceosome interact, shedding light on how the splicing process occurs.
Find out more by following the link in our bio to EMBL.org/news
Credit: Wojciech Galej, Isabel Romero Calvo/EMBL
#embl #science #research #biology #sciencephoto #scicomm #scienceiscool #instascience #sciart #electronmicroscopy #cryoEM #molecularbiology #structuralbiology #RNA #protein
A new era for European molecular biology: EMBL is embarking on an exciting and ambitious new strategic programme ‘Molecules to Ecosystems’
For almost 50 years EMBL’s science has helped to improve human, animal, and plant health. Now, we’re expanding our horizons – to understand life in the context of its environment. The need is urgent – society is facing enormous global challenges: irreversible loss of biodiversity, antimicrobial resistance, pollution, food security, emergent pathogens, and climate change.
Under the aegis of this new programme, EMBL will consider the molecular basis of life in its broadest sense – not only in the context of cells, tissues, and whole organisms, but also within ecosystems, to look at how organisms interact with each other, as well as how they respond to and influence their constantly changing physical and chemical conditions.
Find out more by following the link in our bio to EMBL.org/news
Credit: Creative Team/EMBL
#embl #science #research #biology #sciencephoto #scicomm #scienceiscool #instascience #sciart #molecularbiology #datascience #cellbiology #developmentalbiology #structuralbiology #microbiology #environmentalscience #environment #ecosystem
This 3D protein structure reveals the nature of interactions between bacterial proteins SdeA (green) and SidJ (blue). Found in the pathogenic bacterium Legionella pneumophila (shown in the background in a fluorescent microscope image), these proteins are important for the process of establishing infections inside the host. The versatile bacterium that can cause Legionnaires’ disease – a severe pneumonia.
EMBL’s Bhogaraju group uses structural biology techniques, including cryo-electron microscopy, to study protein interactions in Legionella pneumophila. In their most recent work, they unveiled the 3D structure of these two proteins. The results could lead to new treatments for pneumonia caused by this pathogen.
Link in bio to EMBL.org/news to find out more.
Credit: Isabel Romero Calvo/EMBL; Legionella immunofluorescence: CDC-PHIL, Public domain
#embl #science #research #biology #sciencephoto #scicomm #scienceiscool #instascience #sciart #microscopy #fluorescent #fluorescentmicroscopy #electronmicroscopy #cells #bacteria #infectionbiology #structuralbiology #legionella #pneumonia #cryoem
Molecular structure of human RNA polymerase I (Pol I) – an enzyme that is vital to cell function, and of particular interest to scientists studying rare diseases and cancers. The different colours indicate individual proteins that together make up Pol I. Altogether, there are 13 protein subunits RNA Pol I. The cyan and light brown helices in the centre of the protein complex represent two strands of DNA. In the background, snapshot images of the enzyme as observed by cryo-electron microscopy can be seen.
Researchers in EMBL’s Müller group have now provided the most detailed structure to date of human RNA polymerase I. The findings illuminate the structure and function of human RNA Pol I in different functional states and offer fundamental information on Pol I’s cellular functions to those studying rare diseases and cancers.
Find out more by following the link in our bio to EMBL.org/news
Credit: Müller Group/EMBL
#embl #science #research #biology #sciencephoto #scicomm #scienceiscool #instascience #sciart #microscopy #electronmicroscopy #cryoem #cellbiology #molecularbiology #structuralbiology #structure #RNA
An illustration of the human gut, with coloured shapes representing the diversity of microorganisms in our gut. Three different drugs and drug combinations are shown affecting the bacteria, represented by changes in colour.
Researchers from EMBL and colleagues have found that commonly prescribed drugs can affect the microbes in our gut in different ways. Some drugs and drug combinations may help shift the microbiome towards a ‘healthier’ state, while others correlate with more severe disease states. The results can pave the way for better therapeutics, prevention strategies, and improved biomarker discovery studies.
Link in bio to EMBL.org/news to find out more.
Credit: Isabel Romero Calvo/EMBL
@mdc.berlin@unileipzig
#embl #science #research #biology #sciencephoto #scicomm #scienceiscool #instascience #sciart #bacteria #cells #cellbiology #gutmicrobiome #microbiome #microbiomehealth #microbiota #metabolism #medication #guthealth
Three-dimensional structure of the octopus-like Lassa virus polymerase, the enzyme responsible for the replication of the virus in infected cells. The different colors highlight several flexible parts of the enzyme, also known as periphery domains.
Researchers from EMBL Grenoble, the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine and the Centre for Structural Systems Biology, have studied the Lassa virus polymerase in different functional states using cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). Knowing the structure of the polymerase allows one to better understand the mechanism of viral replication and can help to develop an antiviral to block the infection.
The recent study is part of broader work on the polymerases of RNA viruses, including severe human pathogens on the World Health Organization priority list. Finding similarities between polymerases of different viruses could inform the development of a broad-spectrum antiviral to tackle several viruses at once.
Find out more by following the link in our bio to EMBL.org/news
Credit: Maria Rosenthal/Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Creative Team/EMBL
#embl #science #research #biology #sciencephoto #scicomm #scienceiscool #instascience #sciart #electronmicroscopy #structuralbiology #structure #RNA #protein #polymerase #virus #lassa #health #onehealth
Colourful illustrations of various plants and animals, and the outline of a human chest with internal organs: an artist's interpretation of the One Health concept.
Human, animal, and ecosystem health are intricately connected; we can only be as healthy as the world around us. Life doesn’t exist in isolation – that’s why we need to look at human health in the context of animal and ecosystem health, rather than as an isolated entity.
The upcoming 22nd EMBL Science & Society Conference will explore the One Health approach, which advocates for greater cross-sectoral collaboration and communication across the human-animal-environment interface. The virtual conference takes place on 3 December 2021 – it’s free and open to everyone. Find out more by following the link in our bio to EMBL.org/news
Credit: Aleksandra Krolik/EMBL
#embl #science #society #research #biology #sciencephoto #scicomm #scienceiscool #instascience #sciart #health #onehealth #publichealth #environment #environmentalscience #ecosystem #disease #infectiousdisease #climatechange #foodsafety
Can open data help feed a hungry world?
An artist’s interpretation of genomic data, represented as a four-letter code and as coloured circles, supporting food security. The image shows different species essential for food security alongside a platter of food, superimposed on genomic data.
Feeding a growing population in a changing climate is no easy feat but scientists around the world are exploring solutions. Disease resistant crops, more nutritious food, and drought-resistant plants are just some of options that molecular data helps us pursue.
Find out more by following the link in our bio to EMBL.org/news
Credit: Rayne Zaayman-Gallant/EMBL
#embl #science #research #biology #sciencephoto #scicomm #scienceiscool #instascience #sciart #food #bioinformatics #genomics #opendata #foodsecurity
Bacteria are the oldest and most abundant cellular organisms on the planet. But their genomes are a bit of a mystery and the majority of public data comes from just 20 bacterial species.
Researchers at EMBL-EBI are now using bioinformatics to delve deeper. They have assembled and characterised more than 660,000 bacterial genomes from publicly available DNA data. The new dataset, which is open to the research community, makes it easier to search bacterial genomes for features of interest and examine their evolutionary relationships.
Find out more by following the link in our bio to EMBL.org/news
Credit: Karen Arnott/EMBL-EBI
#embl #science #research #biology #sciencephoto #scicomm #scienceiscool #instascience #sciart #bacteria #microbiology #genome #bioinformatics #dna #genomics
This animation shows how the human peptide transporter 1 (PepT1) located in the gut wall transports various drug molecules through the cell membrane. The model of the molecular structure of PepT1 has been obtained using cryo-electron microscopy. The structure of PepT1 in the visual is based on the PDB entries 7PMW, 7PMX, 7PMY and 7PN1.
PepT1 is a protein that transports digested proteins, as well as many drugs, from the gut into the bloodstream. By determining its molecular structure, scientists at EMBL Hamburg have paved the way towards the development of drugs that reach their target tissues more efficiently.
As the transport of drugs by PepT1 is often inefficient, only a small part of the drugs we take in passes into the bloodstream. Knowing the molecular structure of PepT1 will enable pharmacologists to designing new drugs in a way that facilitates their absorption.
Link in bio to EMBL.org/news to find out more.
Credit: Isabel Romero Calvo/EMBL
#embl #science #research #biology #sciencevideo #scicomm #scienceiscool #instascience #sciart #microscopy #electronmicroscopy #structuralbiology #structure #protein #cryoEM #gut #guthealth
An artistic impression of the adaptor protein pUL21 of the herpes simplex virus 1, which enables the virus to reprogram a host cell’s metabolism, forcing it to produce and release viral copies. Blurred parts of the pUL21 protein symbolise flexibility of movement within the molecule. Herpes simplex virus 1 infects certain types of neurons, depicted in the background of the illustration.
EMBL Hamburg’s Svergun Group have helped colleagues from the Graham and Crump labs at the University of Cambridge, UK, to better understand how herpes virus hijacks human proteins to multiply itself.
The Svergun Group’s expertise in a technique called SAXS helped to uncover that pUL21, has an unexpected flexibility of movement and binds various human proteins that steer the activity of other proteins. Thanks to its flexibility and versatility, pUL21 is able to hijack the host cell’s protein production process.
Link in bio to EMBL.org/news to find out more.
Credit: Isabel Romero Calvo/EMBL
@cambridgeuniversity
#embl #science #research #biology #sciencephoto #scicomm #scienceiscool #instascience #sciart #structuralbiology #structure #Xray #protein #herpes #virus #infection
