The pentagon and the broad bean
11 October, 2018Electron microscopes and computerised image analysis has allowed researchers to uncover the correct structure of a protein essential in the immune system, IgM, and a much smaller protein that is bound inside, AIM.
Synthetic nanoparticles used to treat snakebites
10 October, 2018US researchers have demonstrated a new approach to treating snakebites, using nanoparticles to bind to venom toxins and prevent the spread of venom through the body.
Identifying gut microbes linked to mammalian evolution
18 September, 2018Scientists have made a key advance towards understanding which of the trillions of gut microbes may play important roles in how humans and other mammals evolve.
Immune cells associated with schizophrenia
17 September, 2018Scientists have identified immune cells in greater amounts in the brains of some people with schizophrenia — a breakthrough that could transform global schizophrenia research.
Breakthroughs in antibiotics old and new
13 September, 2018In good news for the fight against antibiotic resistance, one research team has successfully adjusted an existing antibiotic and another has identified a promising new antibiotic candidate.
Flu-based vaccine can protect against tuberculosis
11 September, 2018Researchers have demonstrated how an Influenza A-based vaccine can be used to activate immune cells in the lungs — protecting against tuberculosis in the process.
'Educated killer cells' show promise in pancreatic cancer
10 September, 2018Researchers recently took cancer patients' immune cells and modified them to identify and eliminate cancer cells, with impressive results.
How does the immune system protect itself against Ebola?
28 August, 2018Two types of human antibodies that target different parts of the Ebola virus synergise their antiviral effects by inhibiting different steps of infection.
Lab-grown nose cells could treat spinal cord injuries
14 August, 2018Griffith University researchers have designed a new way to grow nose cells in the lab, in a breakthrough that heralds hope for sufferers of spinal cord injuries.
New immune cells added to blood cell 'atlas'
10 August, 2018Melbourne researchers have revealed the identities of new subsets of immune cells at the frontline of our body's defences against infection.
Genetic variation discovered in cancer cell lines
09 August, 2018While scientists have thought that individual cell lines remain genetically uniform, they can in fact evolve in ways that dramatically change their responses to drugs.
New view of how living cells make energy
09 August, 2018Researchers have made a fundamental discovery about the atomic structure of the biological machine that makes mitochondrial ribosomes, providing a new means to target this machine for drug treatments.
Penicillin allergy linked to greater risk of superbug infections
02 July, 2018The risk is largely due to the use of more 'broad spectrum' antibiotics as alternatives to penicillin, which may be fuelling the development of drug-resistant bacteria.
Scientists discover the molecular trigger for cell death
25 June, 2018Necroptosis is a type of controlled cell death that is initiated when a cell detects something harmful in its environment and alerts the immune system to come to its aid.
The brain's genetic secrets can be found in the blood
15 June, 2018Researchers from The University of Queensland recently used blood samples to identify gene targets for brain-related traits like IQ and diseases such as schizophrenia.
