Lipid density has been shown to be the defining factor in membrane flexibility, potentially opening new avenues in synthetic biology. Research into membrane behavior has revealed that how tightly ...

Researchers discover that hearing-essential proteins (TMC1/TMC2) also regulate cell membranes, and their malfunction is a primary cause of permanent hearing loss.

Researchers have identified a previously unknown mechanism that drives the death of inner ear hair cells, the tiny sensory ...

Tsukuba, Japan—Cells contain diverse populations of molecules called lipids, which are organic fatty compounds. Lipid metabolism, the synthesis and breakdown of these lipids, plays key roles in ...

A cell membrane is illustrated to show the surface in red. Blue objects are proteins, including ion channels, which can send electrical impulses into cells. Lipids, or fats, are in yellow. In this ...

Variability among lipids affects cellular metabolism, signaling pathways, energy storage, and cell membrane structures. Therefore, it’s important for biomanufacturers to have an accurate, ...

Proteins long known to be essential for hearing have been hiding a talent: they also act as gatekeepers that shuffle fatty ...

Experiments reveal that unsaturated lipid membranes promote vesicle fusion and DNA retention during freeze–thaw cycles, highlighting icy environments as potential drivers of protocell evolution. Today ...

Researchers at the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders have identified a previously unknown mechanism that destroys the sensory hair cells of the inner ear, a discovery ...