This event will bring together interesting speakers working in drug discovery from both academia and biotech from the Leiden Bioscience Park

Understanding and controlling phase-separated biomolecular condensate mechanochemistry is critical for their function and material properties. In this study, the authors developed assays that enable t...

YouTube video by Alireza Mashaghi Lab

Als eerste ter wereld heeft het laboratorium van Leids onderzoeker Alireza Mashaghi een quantum biosensor-installatie van QT-Sense in gebruik genomen. Hiermee kunnen supersnelle en haast onzichtbare v...

Leiden researchers have discovered a surprising new way to shape and control tiny droplets of molecules found in living organisms. The breakthrough could lead to smarter biomaterials, improve drug del...

We report the complete assignment of the vibrational spectrum of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), which belongs to the most ubiquitous membrane phospholipid family, phosphatidylcholine. We find ...

Community science: Since 1996, Alireza Mashaghi has actively advocated for collaborations between disciplines to explore new ways of addressing scientific and societal challenges. The team has a long...

We investigate the structural and topological properties of hydrophobic homopolymer chains in aqueous solutions using molecular dynamics simulations and circuit

It is widely believed that cooperation between clinicians and machines may address many of the decisional fragilities intrinsic to current medical practice. However, the realization of this potential ...

Phase-separated biomolecular condensates play a crucial role in cellular organization. In the nucleus, phase separation regulates the assembly and function of nuclear proteins and the genome. Here, we...

Single molecule experiments aimed at probing protein folding are typically performed in buffer conditions and cannot therefore be representative of the multi-faceted and complex cooperative interacti...

Spinal bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) is caused by a polyglutamine expansion (pQe) in the N-terminal transactivation domain of the human androgen receptor (AR-NTD), resulting in a combination of toxi...

“Oscars of Science” recognize major advances in gene editing and against MS and obesity.

Researchers at Leiden University have created a unique model that mimics how disease develops after a dengue infection. This 'dengue-on-a-chip' model helps them study the virus more effectively. The t...

Capillary leakage is a hallmark of severe dengue, yet its precise mechanisms remain elusive. Emerging evidence highlights the dengue virus’s targeting of mechanically active endothelial cells as a key contributor to dengue shock syndrome. The viral nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) has been identified as a central player, disrupting endothelial integrity and inducing vascular hyperpermeability independently of pro-inflammatory cytokines. This study provides a direct assessment of NS1-induced endothelial pathology by combining single-cell force spectroscopy and a microvessel-on-a-chip platform. We demonstrate that NS1 significantly alters endothelial cell mechanics, reducing cell stiffness and compromising junctional integrity, thereby directly linking these mechanical alterations to vascular dysfunction. These findings establish a framework for understanding the mechano-pathology of dengue and offer a platform for developing targeted therapeutic strategies to mitigate severe disease outcomes.

Understanding the behaviour of tiny droplets in our cells could aid the search for new treatments. A team of Leiden researchers has developed a groundbreaking method to study how these droplets transi...

YouTube video by Alireza Mashaghi Lab