Molecular Awards

  lowering weight — these two actions affect muscle structure differently. During a bicep curl, lifting a weight shortens the muscle and lowering lengthens it. We call these activities concentric and eccentric exercises, respectively. Studying these exercises is crucial in sports medicine because they affect strength, bulk and rehabilitation outcomes differently. Understanding the biology behind muscle movement also helps to optimize exercise protocols, and  a recent study  by Jiawei Du and a team at the Beijing Sport University in China, published in the journal  Molecular & Cellular Proteomics , seeks to do that. Muscles are made of long thin individual fibers such as those seen running diagonally across the top right of the image. The lower left shows muscle fibers stretching toward the viewer. “This study aimed to explore the molecular mechanisms underlying muscle adaptation to eccentric and concentric exercises by using advanced proteomic techniques,” Du sai...

  To minimize the risk of cardiovascular disease,   our arteries   need to be clear and inflammation-free, and scientists have developed a new technique that uses carbon nanoparticles to fight the buildup of dangerous plaques. Plaques congregate inside these blood flow channels from fatty substances like cholesterol, dead and damaged cells, and other deposits, thickening  and stiffening  the artery walls in a process known as  atherosclerosis . Using nanoparticles thinner than human hair, loaded with a drug to activate immune cells, a team led by researchers from Michigan State University and Stanford University was able to confirm their precisely targeted therapy led to substantial plaque reduction in pigs with atherosclerosis. "We showed in animal models such as pigs that we can decrease the levels of inflammation in the plaque based not only on this clinically used  PET  imaging technique, but also by  molecular assays ." The nanoparticle ...

  Mamma bears press pause on their early pregnancies, so that their cubs are born closer to a food filled spring. Researchers led by a team in Germany have now found this same pregnancy pause button exists in human cells too. Although we have lost the ability to naturally enter dormancy, these experiments suggest that we have nevertheless retained this inner ability and could eventually unleash it,"  says  molecular geneticist Nicolas Rivron from the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA). "Triggering a dormant state during an IVF procedure could provide a larger time window to assess embryo health and to synchronize it with the mother for better implantation inside the uterus." This tactic allows animals to synchronize their resource demands with the environment's cycles of supply,  delaying development until a more opportune moment. Over 130 mammals  are known to use these  diapauses  as part of their reproductive strategy. As some of these species, suc...