Scientific Highlights

How do bacteria divide? At first glance, it might seem simple: one cell splits into two. But behind this universal process lies a fascinating diversity

The way our genes are regulated—switched on or off in different cells—is far more complex than the basic genetic code itself. One reason is that

In metazoans, RNA polymerase II transcribed immature U-rich small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs), ultimately destined to be incorporated into spliceosomal particles, are exported within a specific

Understanding how proteins crystallize remains a long-standing challenge in structural biology. While the final crystals are essential for techniques like X-ray diffraction, the early stages

Baculoviruses are large viruses with circular double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) genomes. They specifically propagate amongst insect cells, playing a natural role in regulating insect populations and

Human transthyretin (TTR), a thyroxine and retinol-binding protein transporter in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid, can become amyloidogenic with age or by single point mutations

At the beginning of 2025, influenza is on the rise in all age groups, and this year’s epidemic looks set to be a major one.

Serial macromolecular crystallography has become a popular technique to study structural dynamics of biological samples at room temperature. However, the experiments remain complex and are

Trypanosomatid parasites, including different trypanosoma and leishmania species, are responsible for severe human and animal diseases of medical and economic importance worldwide. The Kowalinski group

Hen egg-white lysozyme is an enzyme that cleaves the 1,4-β-linkages between N-acetylmuramic acid and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine residues in peptidoglycan. Its enzymatic mechanism has been studied for

Our genetic material is highly susceptible to mutations, either spontaneously or triggered by external stimuli such as UV and chemical carcinogens. Human cells employ an

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) around 15% of couples worldwide face infertility, with some cases linked to mutations in genes responsible for the

Lessons from the structure of a bacterial homologue During bacterial infections, neutrophils play a crucial role in defending the body by engulfing and destroying microorganisms

Single-crystal neutron diffraction is a powerful technique in structural biology that can accurately visualize the hydrogen atom positions in biomacromolecules. Because hydrogen atoms make up

Splicing is a cellular process involving nearly all of our genes, and consisting in the removal of RNA sequences (introns) from precursor transcripts, while other

We are glad to announce 2 major pieces of equipment have been integrated at the M4D platform. Since February this year, the cell imaging platform

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak in late December 2019, there has been a lot of talk about how the seriousness of the disease

When cells are put under stress from their environment they need to react. To fight stress, such as infection, several coping mechanisms, including the inflammatory

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an incurable neurodegenerative disease and cases are predicted to rise significantly in the next 30 years. The race is on to

Avian influenza viruses represent a recurring threat to human health. In particular highly pathogenic zoonotic avian strains, such as the currently circulating H5N1 subtype, can

Due to its charge, electron interacts strongly with matter. Electron crystallography can thus be carried out on nanometer-sized crystals that contain fewer unit cells than

After several years of waiting, the France Cryo-EM project is becoming reality. This project will enable France to catch up its lack in term of