At 83°C, the eukaryotic nucleus falls apart as scaffolding proteins collapse. Histones and other binding proteins, which usually compact DNA, detach from the DNA and lose their structure, resulting in loose DNA. These unwrapped DNA strands then melt at multiple points separating into single strands that no longer keep together. It is a disaster our bodies avoid by giving us the painful burning sensation. However, none of this happens to archaea Methanothermus fervidus which thrives at...

Did you notice that in many movies the evil character is illuminated with some green light from the side? It makes us feel uneasy because it is unnatural. This uncomfortable feeling can also happen when we look at some nanotechnology images. Many portray saturated laser lights in a dark background and shiny atomic particles. Moreover, scientists may like to explain in a single image multiple aspects of their experiment. This is often achieved by multiple layers including a background, a...

This months the PDB Molecule of the Month features “Natural RNA-Only Assemblies” recently found in Clostridium and Streptococcus bacteria, which form nanocages. Their biological function is unknown, but some are large enough to sequester a ribosome inside. What could they store inside? Could they be used for drug delivery? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- References: https://pdb101.rcsb.org/motm/313...