Shaken, not stirred: Scientists spy molecular maneuvers

ScienceDaily (Oct. 27, 2011) — Stir this clear liquid in a glass vial and nothing happens. Shake this liquid, and free-floating sheets of protein-like structures emerge, ready to detect molecules or catalyze a reaction. This isn't the latest gadget from James Bond's arsenal -- rather, the latest research from the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) scientists unveiling how slim sheets of protein-like structures self-assemble. This "shaken, not...

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Body’s molecular sensors may trigger autoimmune disease

ScienceDaily (Oct. 27, 2011) — Bruce Beutler, MD, a co-recipient of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Medicine, has coauthored an article describing a novel molecular mechanism that can cause the body to attack itself and trigger an autoimmune disease. The article is published online ahead of print in the Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.In the article, entitled "Intracellular Nucleic Acid Sensors and Autoimmunity," Argyrios Theofilopoulos,...

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