Cryo-EM Facility
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Redefining synaptic architecture: Nanoblocks as key organizing units in the postsynaptic density
In a new paper postdoctoral fellow Rong Sun and members of the Qiangjun Zhou lab used cryo-electron tomography to better understand the precise structural arrangement of synapses of excitatory primary hippocampal neurons. Read MoreMay. 13, 2025
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New structure gives insight into mRNA export and cancers, and how viruses hijack the process to infect their host
A newly determined structure from the lab of Yi Ren reveals information about the mRNA export pathway and suggests that herpes viruses could hijack that interaction to infect their host. The new structures also reveal how certain mutations in the protein complex could play a role in cancers. Read MoreNov. 14, 2024
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Research Snapshot: Protons can tune synaptic signaling by changing the shape of a protein receptor
Research from Teru Nakagawa, professor of molecular physiology and biophysics, describes intricacies of normal brain function with implications for our understanding of brain injury and recovery: A decrease in pH can modify a neurotransmitter receptor’s structure, thereby modulating its location and kinetics. Read MoreAug. 13, 2024