Bioinformatics And Genomics News | Bioinformatics and Genomics

A new study has described a potential mechanism that could help explain why some proteins refold in a different pattern than expected. The research showed that a type of misfolding, called non-covalent lasso entanglement, in which the proteins incorrectly intertwine their segments, can occur and create a barrier to the normal folding process. The image shows the native folded structure of the protein phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) on the left and one of the misfolded PGK structures predicted in this study on the right, with the entangled regions highlighted in red and blue. Credit: Provided by Yang Jiang / Penn State. Creative Commons

Mar 17, 2025

Protein accidentally lassos itself, helping explain unusual refolding behavior

New study demonstrates a potential protein misfolding mechanism that could solve a decades-old mystery of why some proteins refold in a different pattern than expected.

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Mar 14, 2025

Plant biologist awarded the Masatoshi Nei Innovation Prize in Biology

Sarah Assmann, Waller Professor of Plant Biology at Penn State, has been awarded the Masatoshi Nei Innovation Prize in Biology. The award was established through a generous gift from Masatoshi Nei, professor emeritus of biology at Penn State; Laura Carnell, professor of biology at Temple University; and Nei’s wife, Nobuko Nei. The prize is intended to recognize a preeminent scientist who is on the faculty at Penn State, is an innovator in their field, and has achieved outstanding scientific research and leadership in the biological sciences.

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The new method may eventually help give insight into why bee populations are declining overall, according to the researchers. Credit: Adonyi Gábor/Unsplash. All Rights Reserved.

Mar 12, 2025

Analyzing genetic ‘signatures’ may give insight into what stresses wild bees

A new method of examining gene expression patterns called landscape transcriptomics may help pinpoint what causes bumble bees stress and could eventually give insight into why bee populations are declining overall.

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Credit: Courtesy of the Bisanz Lab / Penn State. Creative Commons

Mar 04, 2025

Synthetic microbiome therapy suppresses bacterial infection without antibiotics

Precise, targeted treatment using limited strains of gut bacteria effectively protected against C. difficile infection, severe symptoms and recurrent infections in mice.

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Environmental contaminants don’t just pose direct risks to human health — they may also have hidden effects through the microbiome that researchers are working to uncover. Credit: Brenna Buck. All Rights Reserved.

Mar 03, 2025

'Growing Impact' discusses environmental contaminants, human health

The latest episode of Growing Impact discusses how environmental contaminants affect human health, a research focus for Penn State professors Andrew Patterson and Costas Maranas.

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The flavonoids that provide insecticide-like protection to some corn lines against corn earworm larvae also provide pigments to the plants that show up in the silks, husks and kernels. Pictured here are the lines used in the research. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

Feb 20, 2025

Select corn lines contain compounds that sicken, kill major crop pest

The compounds, called flavonoids, have an insecticidal effect on corn earworm larvae.

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New research lends insight into the regulatory control of gene expression in the deadliest of the malaria parasites, Plasmodium falciparum, and provides opportunities for the development of new therapeutic approaches against the disease. PfSnf2L, in red, is an essential malaria parasite protein for developing from the asexual ring to the sexual transmission stage — shown at top with the arrow illustrating the trajectory of various stages of sexual development. When the PfSnf2L enzyme is inhibited by the small molecule, NH125, in green, this leads to disordered DNA packaging. Changes in DNA packaging with active — the white line — and inactive PfSnf2L enzyme — the blue line — are depicted. When the DNA packaging is disrupted, the necessary information for parasite development can no longer be read out and the malaria parasites die thereby blocking transmission. Credit: Längst and Kannan Venugopal/Marti laboratory. All Rights Reserved.

Feb 20, 2025

Disrupting parasite gene regulation reveals new malaria intervention strategy

Malaria's deadliest parasite relies on precise gene regulation to survive. A new multinational study, including Penn State scientists, reveals key insights into these control mechanisms.

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Feb 13, 2025

Team Dynamics course to be available for Huck graduate students in Fall 2025

A unique team-building and leadership course, taught by faculty from the Smeal College of Business MBA program, is available for a limited number of Huck graduate students next fall.

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2024 My Green Lab Consultants Zaman Ataie and Ananya Gollakota check the expiration date on a chemical bottle. Credit: Lydia Vandenbergh. All Rights Reserved.

Feb 11, 2025

Sustainable Labs Program increases participant engagement, welcomes new labs

Two upcoming virtual sessions will cover how labs can learn more and join next year’s cohort.

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A native bee sits on a purple flower on the left, while a honey bee sits on a yellow flower on the right. Credit: Provided by Margarita López-Uribe. All Rights Reserved.

Feb 07, 2025

Native bee populations can bounce back after honey bees move out

Managed honey bees have the potential to affect native bee populations when they are introduced to a new area, but a study led by researchers at Penn State suggests that, under certain conditions, the native bees can bounce back if the apiaries are moved away.

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