Entries by DOE-MBI Staff

De novo phasing with X-ray laser reveals mosquito larvicide BinAB structure

Publication in Nature, view here Abstract BinAB is a naturally occurring paracrystalline larvicide distributed worldwide to combat the devastating diseases borne by mosquitoes. These crystals are composed of homologous molecules, BinA and BinB, which play distinct roles in the multi-step intoxication process, transforming from harmless, robust crystals, to soluble protoxin heterodimers, to internalized mature toxin, […]

Eisenberg lab produces Ab Initio protein structure from prion nanocrystals at atomic resolution by MicroED

We illustrate a method to access the long unrealized potential of electrons in the crystallographic structural determination of biological molecules. Electrons, owing to their strong interaction with matter, produce high resolution diffraction patterns from tiny three-dimensional biomolecular crystals (MicroED), enticing structural biologists with a means to gain much needed insight into the detailed workings of […]

Todd Yeates work highlighted in Science

Todd Yeates lab published in Science and highlighted on the cover: Accurate design of megadalton-scale two-component icosahedral protein complexes. Included is a Video from Science Abstract Nature provides many examples of self- and co-assembling protein-based molecular machines, including icosahedral protein cages that serve as scaffolds, enzymes, and compartments for essential biochemical reactions and icosahedral virus capsids, which encapsidate and […]

UCLA Scientists Test New Strategy That Could Help Fight Ovarian Cancer

  Approach borrows from technique of inhibiting protein fibers that cause Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases * High-grade serous ovarian cancers are aggressive tumors, and most patients relapse despite standard therapy * UCLA researchers developed a peptide that penetrates cancer cells and stops their growth by restoring the protective function of the p53 protein * Scientists […]

Uncovering the Mechanism of Aggregation of Human Transthyretin

Published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, the work of Dr. Lorena Saelices and coworkers under the supervision of Prof. David Eisenberg establishes a novel therapeutic strategy for transthyretin amyloidosis. The team identified two segments of transthyretin that are responsible for the protein aggregation and determined the structure of their fibrils. The fibril structures were […]

Professor David Eisenberg was awarded the Legacy Award at the 2nd Annual UCLA Molecular Biology Institute (MBI) Awards Dinner on November 12th.

The Legacy Award honors outstanding MBI faculty mentors who have worked to inspire, encourage and guide the next generation of scientists and thought leaders.Professor Eisenberg is a Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry and of Biological Chemistry, an HHMI investigator, and the inaugural Chair Holder of the Paul D. Boyer Professorship in Molecular Biology Biochemistry. […]

2015 Postdoctoral Awardees

Three Postdocs from MBI Labs were recipients of the 2015 Postdoc Awards. Crysten Blaby from the Merchant lab Luz Orozco from the Pellegrini lab Jose Rodriguez from the Eisenberg lab The events was held on Oct. 9th at the California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI). More information can be found here   Jose Rodriguez and Luz Orozco […]

Diffusion accessibility as a method for visualizing macromolecular surface geometry.

Published in Protein Science, Oct 2015. Important three-dimensional spatial features such as depth and surface concavity can be difficult to convey clearly in the context of two-dimensional images. In the area of macromolecular visualization, the computer graphics technique of ray-tracing can be helpful, but further techniques for emphasizing surface concavity can give clearer perceptions of […]