Results 81 to 90 of 103
Scientists have identified new ways to provide vaccines against polio, which do not require the growth of live virus for their manufacture. Despite the success of vaccines produced from "virus-like particles" (VLPs) for hepatitis B and human papilloma viruses, poliovirus VLPs have proved to be too unstable to make practical vaccines. Now, a research team...
The results of a £17 million investment in advanced biological research equipment have been unveiled at the University today, with the official opening of the Astbury BioStructure Laboratory. Wellcome Director Dr Jeremy Farrar launched the centre, which hosts a 950 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer and two 300 kV electron microscopes. These are amongst the...
A virus that causes childhood coughs and colds could help in the fight against primary liver cancer. Reovirus stimulates the body’s own immune system to kill off the cancerous cells, researchers from the University of Leeds discovered. In addition, Reovirus is able to kill off the hepatitis C virus – a common cause of primary...
In the last 60 years mankind has come to rely on the wonder-cure of antibiotics to solve a multitude of ills by inhibiting disease-causing bacteria and curing potentially fatal infections. However, misuse of antibiotics can lead to some bacteria becoming immune to the effects of antibiotics, stopping us getting better. This is known as anti-microbial...
A new approach has been developed to combat diseases caused by herpesvirus infections, including everything from cold sores to cancer. Researchers at the University of Leeds have discovered a way to prevent herpesviruses hijacking important pathways in cells which are required for the virus to replicate and cause disease. Read the full press release here...
Researchers at the University of Leeds led by Professors Sheena Radford and Neil Ranson have uncovered new information about the operation of a protein complex called BAM – the beta-barrel assembly machinery – which helps insert other bacterial proteins into the bacteria’s outermost protective layer. Read full press release here Read Lateral opening in the intact...
A research team has discovered that a cell's protective layer acts like a turnstile, allowing proteins to be exported while preventing them from moving back in. All cells are surrounded by a protective layer – a membrane – which keeps the contents of the cell together and protects it from damage. Read the full press...
Nobel Laureate Professor Michael Levitt is to speak at the University on Tuesday 12 April as part of the first ‘Astbury Conversation’. The Astbury Conversation (11 – 12 April), celebrating advances in molecular biology, also includes a public exhibition, providing a fascinating insight into the complex molecules and chemical reactions that are essential for life....
Scientists from the University of Leeds have solved a 25-year-old question about how a family of proteins allow bacteria to resist the effects of certain antibiotics. Proteins of the ABC-F protein family are a major source of antibiotic resistance in ‘superbugs’ such as Staphylococcus aureus, a group of bacteria that includes MRSA. The findings provide...
A research team led by the University of Leeds has observed for the first time how HIV and Ebola viruses attach to cells to spread infection. The findings suggest a new way of treating these viruses: instead of destroying the pathogens, introduce a block on how they interact with cells. Read the full press release...