#Biology7
Light controls a calcium-powered protein engine for artificial cells
Researchers adapted a ciliate calcium-pulse strategy to make a protein network that contracts when calcium is released by light. The light-controlled system can repeat cycles, move tiny particles and may help synthetic drug delivery.
Photo by Nigel Hoare, Unsplash
Brown study suggests targeting mTORC2 could help fight cancer
Researchers at Brown University report that blocking the mTORC2 protein complex, while leaving mTORC1 active, may stop cancer growth signals without triggering survival pathways. The work offers a new direction for designing cancer drugs.
Mechanical tipping point behind sudden fibrosis
Scientists found a mechanical "tipping point" that makes groups of cells switch quickly from healthy to fibrotic states. Collagen fibers, cell spacing and crosslinking control this abrupt change and affect how far mechanical signals travel.
Alternative splicing linked to mammal lifespan
A study in Nature Communications compared alternative splicing across 26 mammal species (lifespans 2.2–37 years) and found splicing patterns better predict maximum lifespan than gene activity; the brain shows many lifespan-linked events controlled by RNA-binding proteins.
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