Transcription factors (TFs) form dynamic, high-concentration clusters, condensates, or hubs, proposed to increase TF binding frequency at target enhancers. However, how enhancer sequence shapes hub pr...

The sequential assembly of over 50 proteins during clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) is well documented in yeast. However, the mechanisms governing this ordered recruitment remain poorly understood....

CRISPR-Cas provides RNA-mediated adaptive immunity, but how its first RNA-guided effector arose is unclear. In this study, we report the discovery of Viral Interference Programmable Repeat (VIPR) syst...

The genomic regions regulating gene expression are often themselves transcribed into a variety of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs). However, the regulatory roles of this noncoding transcription remain largely ...

Many prokaryotes are diderms. They divide using an FtsZ division ring to simultaneously constrict physically coupled inner and outer membranes to form daughter cells with two membranes. Currently, onl...

TnpB endonucleases are engineered for improved genome editing.

Placing too much emphasis on a specific interpretation of dimensionality may lead neuroscience down the wrong path.

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Epithelial cells remodel their shape during phagocytosis while preserving tissue cohesion. Here, authors show that the E-cadherin/catenin adhesion complex is repurposed at phagocytic contacts, where i...

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The formation of metaphase chromosomes requires the activity of condensins, DNA translocases that reduce chromosomal length through the process of loop extrusion. Reduction of length, however, does no...

The cellular distribution of mitochondria in response to stress and local energy needs is governed by the relative activities of the microtubule-based molecular motors kinesin and dynein. The mechanis...

An alkyne-tagged ethanolamine analog (AlkEA) enables bioorthogonal, metabolic labeling of endogenous phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and its protein modifications. AlkEA is incorporated into PE via the...

Hundreds of novelists, librarians, editors and other book lovers voted. See how their ballots stack up.

Approximately one-third of all human proteins transit through the secretory pathway, where the Golgi apparatus orchestrates protein modification, sorting, and distribution through highly selective ves...

The ARP2/3 complex works together with actomyosin in an oscillatory program at the soma to govern neuronal polarization.

Scientists have discovered that fly eyes develop as natural programmable metamaterials, revealing an "origami" blueprint that could inspire biomaterials, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Embryonic ‘organizer cells’ can tell embryos of various phyla what kind of body to build.

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, Published online: 08 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41580-026-00987-9This study shows that genomic DNA in the cytoplasm can transfer between mammalian cells through nanotube-like structures, integrate into the genome of recipient cells and support gene expression.

I’m reading The Paradox of the Organism, a set of collected essays on this notion edited by Arvid Ågren and Manus M. Patten. It’s tremendously enlightening. It is also pretty consistent with the st…

EMBO Reports - When experimental controls go wrong, it does not necessarily mean your experiment is flawed. It might well be the first sign of something unexpected.

Small changes in the non-coding part of the genome have a key role in sex determination.

A series of spontaneously blinking dyes in the far-red range facilitate single-molecule localization microscopy. These dyes vary in their blinking properties and can be matched to the applications and...

Transient membrane constrictions, or “pearling,” underlie the regular spacing of mitochondrial genomes

Calpain-1, a calcium-dependent cysteine protease, plays a pivotal role in various biological functions. However, real-time monitoring of its activity has been limited by the lack of high-performance calpain sensors. Here, we report the development of iFoCAL, a sensitive and specific fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) sensor for calpain-1, which employs mClover3 and mScarletX, a newly engineered green-red FRET pair with weak interactions. Using iFoCAL, we revealed distinct spatiotemporal patterns of calpain-1 activation: gradual and global activation in whole cells during endoplasmic reticulum (ER) calcium release, fast and focal activation in axons during mechanical stress, and region-specific activation in a Parkinson’s disease model. These findings provide the first direct evidence of distinct calpain-1 dynamics across diverse cellular contexts.

Nature Reviews Genetics - In this Perspective, Maizels and Briscoe discuss the limitations of current models of gene regulatory networks and outline solutions to harness data abundance without...

Dendritic arbors provide just the right scale to study how individual neurons reciprocally interact with their broader circuitry—and are our best bet to bridge cellular and systems neuroscience.

Shapeshifting proteins challenge a long-standing maxim in biology.

Testi and colleagues introduce an enhanced Brillouin Microscope for user-independent and high-precision mechanical measurements. Using this approach, the authors obtained insight into the biophysical ...

Large oligomeric proteins constitute a major fraction of proteomes, but are difficult to refold in vitro, raising the question of how cells direct their biogenesis. Roeselová and Shivakumaraswamy et a...