Fundamental research offers opportunities for new varieties of pigmented rice and a resource to address malnutrition.

More effort is needed to bring salt-tolerant crops to the farmers who need them.

Biopharming technique yields cost-effective and environmentally friendly antimicrobial peptides.

Pioneering single-cell sequencing technology sheds light on risk of mitochondrial genome editing and hidden mitochondrial mutations in human oocytes and synthetic embryos.

A newly found protein complex plays a vital role in RNA protection and stability during its journey between DNA and the cell’s protein factory.

Evolution of lactate-mediated nerve signaling probably enabled memory systems, a comparative gene study shows.

Structural biology study reveals dynamics of DNA ligation during genome replication.

Textbook model of lagging-strand synthesis may be too simplistic for human DNA.

Better understanding of the mechanisms involved in DNA repair may pave the way for developing inhibitors to improve the effectiveness of radiation therapy.

Studying the molecular motion of proteins reveals previously unseen binding sites that could be targeted by new drug candidate molecules.

An enzyme from a Red Sea bacterium suppresses the formation of a slimy biofilm that helps propagate hospital-acquired infections.

Revealing zinc’s interaction with a critical transport protein underscores the need to study biological pathways under physiologically relevant conditions.

Elaborate interaction discovered between epigenetic regulatory protein and its activating lipid partner.

Blocking the overexpression of specific repeat RNA sequences could prove promising for the treatment of premature aging syndromes.

Heat-loving bacteria from an Antarctic volcano could help degrade and clean up oil in the world’s coldest continent and beyond.

The generation of a high-quality genome from a coral specimen reveals an alternative pathway for cysteine biosynthesis in animals and cautions against overreliance on model organisms.

Enhancement of adhesion molecules improves the ability of blood-forming stem cells to take root in transplant recipients.

Deep molecular analysis of the bone marrow microenvironment reveals that the cells regulating blood stem cell maintenance are more diverse than expected and have features likely to be conserved between species.

Fiddler crabs and other burrowing creatures could support the future of nutrient-deficient soils of dried-up mangroves.

Abnormal protein tied to Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome found to control gene splicing.

Nanotechnology that accelerates the transition of stem cells into bone could advance regenerative medicine. 

Stem cell analyses could reveal how extra doses of some genes lead to the characteristics seen in males born with one or more surplus X chromosomes.

Insight into the function of the nucleocapsid protein could help develop drugs that reduce coronavirus impact.

Cell processes and research reproducibility may be significantly impacted by changes in batch cultures as cells grow. More monitoring and improved procedures are needed.

The three-dimensional structure of a protein complex that is key for replicating damaged DNA offers insights into its regulation.

Molecules move within elongated protrusions to help stabilize migrating cells inside the bloodstream.

An in vitro cellular model that mimics the initial phase of human embryo creation could improve understanding of infertility.

The biomedical research community needs to do more to ensure their findings are relevant and reproducible.

An approach that reduces the computational power required to analyze huge amounts of DNA data for identifying new microbes and their proteins could be used for manufacturing anything from new antibiotics to plastic-degrading enzymes.

Honing a growth chamber cultivation technique leads to the identification of novel bacteria from Red Sea mangrove sediments.

Honeybees bring back more than just nectar from their floral feasts and these microbes may help them survive turbulent times.

Detailed and extensive genome sequencing of a subspecies of rat-infecting malaria parasites should instruct human malaria research.

A lot happens and changes within a thin one-meter-thick transition layer between deep Red Sea water and an expansive underlying brine lake.

Combining expertise has shed new light on how cells self-destruct during microbial infection. 

New method can simultaneously diagnose cases, track variants and detect co-infections.

Researchers show how bacteria have adapted a sensing mechanism that allows them to live in different environments. 

A mutational change of an enzyme’s dynamics increases its activity on a chromatin histone, ultimately causing a common lung cancer.

A low-cost diagnostic tool can detect a range of viruses without the need for expensive materials or facilities.

An interactive platform helps users visualize where SARS-CoV-2 mutations start, how wide they spread and how infectious they are.

Tiny light-emitting probes give researchers a better option for noninvasive imaging of living tissue.

A database of newly generated stem cell lines could provide the key to understanding the genetic factors that drive Klinefelter syndrome and related diseases.

Stem cell trafficking to the bone marrow is improved by an enzyme manufactured in silkworms and yeast.

A decades-old technique for probing protein motions proves more accurate than current practices.

Custom-fabricated lenses make it easy to attach high-tech microscopes directly to cell incubators.

A nutritious millet crop grown mainly in West Africa could be genetically improved for large-scale agriculture in Saudi Arabia.

A method that lights up tags attached to selected proteins can help to purify the proteins from a mixed protein pool.

A sequencing approach can home in on a rare mutation within a large number of cells, revealing implications for CRISPR genome editing and early cancer detection.

A likeness between genes of the SARS and COVID-19 viruses could inform research into potential treatments.

An assay for imaging the physical interactions between multiple cell populations could help cancer research and treatment assessment.

Discovery of a malaria parasite’s internal clock could lead to new treatment strategies 

Structural details of an enzyme complex shed light on DNA replication.

Copper ions could play a key role when peptide folding goes wrong and leads to harmful aggregates.

The conversion of skin cells into brain cells relies on proper insertion of L1 elements.

E-selectin is grown in silkworms for the first time, revealing new aspects of its binding dynamics.

Laser-based microscopes can tune into multiple biomolecular signatures found in cancer cells.

A machine learning method has identified highly elusive amino acid sequences involved in cell morphogenesis and adhesion and in diseases like cancer. 

What do an electrical engineer, an organic chemist, a materials scientist and a cell biologist all have in common? They invent and improve applications at the interface of biology and electronics. 

A protein, with a name reminiscent of legendary Greek sailors, has an unexpected role inside the human nucleus.

Protein-folded DNA nanostructures offer a new building material for biotechnology.

New experimental insights allow researchers to probe protein-DNA interactions with greater precision.

Protein found in gut-dwelling pathogens changes shape under human body temperatures, leading to toxins responsible for diarrheal disease.

Mutations in a repetitive protein motif are responsible for a rare cognitive disorder.

Understanding how bacterial metacommunities homogenize could help scientists predict future changes to ecosystems.

Single-molecule fluorescent measurements provide fresh insights into a process for keeping errors out of our genomes.

In the harsh sand of the Namib Desert, the sheaths of speargrass roots co-opt any growth-promoting bacteria they can find.

The types of bacteria living in and around fiddler crab burrows vary widely between mangroves, but their functional activities are remarkably similar. 

Laboratory model breaks laws of heredity, opening up new research possibilities in genetics and synthetic biology.

Recreating the human mind’s ability to infer patterns and relationships from complex events could lead to a universal model of artificial intelligence.

Study illustrates the links between brain energy metabolism and neuronal activity.  

A Nobel-winning method for observing single molecules in action provides the basis for unprecedented insights into polymer chain dynamics.

State-of-the-art techniques and software help researchers recreate cellular brain structures and model biochemical processes that support the brain’s energy demands.

Inkjet-printed device helps monitor a patient’s blood sugar levels without painful needles.

Molecules reorganize to slow stem cells down, giving them a chance to adhere to and eventually cross the inner lining of blood vessels into the bone marrow.

Adding certain types of bacteria to soil could help protect plants against drought by activating a proton pump in root cells.

A compound that binds to and inhibits a crucial receptor protein offers a new route for controlling a parasitic plant.

Pairing a conjugated polymer with a redox enzyme generates a fast, selective and sensitive electrochemical biosensor for metabolites.

Learning how boron evaporates will help to improve water desalination technologies.

An unexpected two-step mechanism occurs when cells copy DNA.

Protein analysis could lead to new advances in DNA sequencing technologies.

A new malaria metabolic model may uncover better ways to treat a highly deadly disease.

Understanding how bacteria help convert glacier bedrock into soil could help address desertification. 

Corals living in highly saline waters may be more tolerant to rising water temperatures. 

Seagrass meadows play a pivotal role in protecting coasts against rising sea levels.

A comparison of the genomes of two species of coral demonstrates unexpected genetic diversity.

The protein CD₃₄ is predominantly regarded as a marker of blood-forming stem cells but it helps with migration to the bone marrow too.

Genomes of single microbial cells isolated from the Red Sea could yield a goldmine for biotechnology.

Sifting through huge amounts of data may bring better understanding of whale shark social structures, protein targets for drug therapies and disease-causing genes.

Herbal remedy plants native to Saudi Arabia are shown to have potential as treatments for cancer.

Two proteins produced by a single gene interact to keep the genome in check.

The movement of DNA molecules seemingly explained by random motion conceals a more orderly march.

The surface proteins responsible for navigating immune cells to sites of inflammation are identified.

Conjugated polymers designed with a twist produce tiny, brightly fluorescent particles with broad applications.

The work of a small group specializing in demystifying proteins is having far-reaching effects.

Enzyme follows a two-step verification system before cutting and repairing DNA damage.

Africa now joins Southeast Asia in hosting parasites partially resistant to the first-line antimalaria drug, artemisinin.

Optical elements that diffract light could lead to smaller and more powerful cameras.

Antibodies directed against cancer stem cells could help patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles may help destroy difficult-to-treat triple-negative breast cancer tumors.

A gene linked to plant stress response helps to prevent the production of defective proteins.

Expert knowledge in the field of DNA and RNA sequencing puts KAUST at the forefront of high-impact pathogen research.