Scripps Research scientists have solved a major problem in chemistry and drug development by using droplet-sized ‘miniecosystems’ to quickly see if a molecule can function as a potential therapeutic. As they report today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the new method will let researchers save critical time and funding by…
Microscopic Chariots Deliver Molecules Within Our Cells
Researchers Get First Complete Look at Protein Behind Sense of Touch
Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have solved the mystery of the structure of Piezo1, a member of a family of proteins that convert physical stimuli such as touch or blood flow into chemical signals. The findings, published today in the journal Nature, point the way to targeting diseases where Piezo1 is mutated, such as…
Dysfunctional Gene May Be Culprit in Some Crohn’s Disease Cases
Scientists Discover Possible Master Switch for Programming Cancer Immunotherapy
During infection or tumor growth, a type of specialized white blood cells called CD8+ T cells rapidly multiply within the spleen and lymph nodes and acquire the ability to kill diseased cells. Some of these killer T cells then migrate where required to vanquish the germs or cancers. But how do killer T cells “learn”…
Scientists Create First Semi-Synthetic Organism that Stores and Retrieves Unnatural Information
Some 3.5 billion years ago, life on Earth evolved to have just four “letters” in its genetic code. These letters are the DNA bases G, C, A and T—and they spell out the instructions for making proteins in every organism on Earth. But scientists in a lab at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have been…
New ResearchKit App Looks at How Genetic Risk Influences Heart Health Decisions
Scientists Discover Master Regulator of Cellular Aging
Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have discovered a protein that fine-tunes the cellular clock involved in aging. This novel protein, named TZAP, binds the ends of chromosomes and determines how long telomeres, the segments of DNA that protect chromosome ends, can be. Understanding telomere length is crucial because telomeres set the lifespan of cells in…
Scientists Uncover Why Hepatitis C Virus Vaccine Has Been Difficult to Make
Researchers have been trying for decades to develop a vaccine against the globally endemic hepatitis C virus (HCV). Now scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have discovered one reason why success has so far been elusive. Using a sophisticated array of techniques for mapping tiny molecular structures, the TSRI scientists analyzed a lab-made version…
Study Finds ‘Missing Evolutionary Link’ of a Widely Used Natural Drug Source
A well-known family of natural compounds, called “terpenoids,” have a curious evolutionary origin. In particular, one question relevant to future drug discovery has puzzled scientists: exactly how does Nature make these molecules? A study from scientists on the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) has now filled in a missing piece of the…