Latest news from Biophysical Society on News en-us Copyright 2025 News 115 31 / /images/newswise-logo-rss.gif /articles/new-antibody-discovery-platform-can-inform-alzheimer-s-and-parkinson-s/?sc=rsin /articles/new-antibody-discovery-platform-can-inform-alzheimer-s-and-parkinson-s/?sc=rsin Sat, 15 Feb 2025 06:00:00 EST ROCKVILLE, MD - In diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, specific proteins misfold and clump together, forming toxic aggregates that damage brain cells. The process of proteins spontaneously clumping is called protein aggregation and researchers have developed novel methods to generate aggregate-specific antibodies as specific probes or modulators of the aggregation process. Biophysical Society /articles/a-new-system-to-study-phytoplankton-crucial-species-for-planet-earth/?sc=rsin /articles/a-new-system-to-study-phytoplankton-crucial-species-for-planet-earth/?sc=rsin Sat, 15 Feb 2025 06:00:00 EST Phytoplankton, tiny plant-like organisms in the ocean, are incredibly important for life on Earth. They're a major food source for many sea creatures and produce almost half the oxygen we breathe. They also help control the climate by soaking up a lot of carbon dioxide, a gas that contributes to global warming. Biophysical Society /articles/the-biophysical-journal-names-marcel-p-goldchen-ohm-the-2024-paper-of-the-year-early-career-investigator-awardee/?sc=rsin /articles/the-biophysical-journal-names-marcel-p-goldchen-ohm-the-2024-paper-of-the-year-early-career-investigator-awardee/?sc=rsin Sat, 15 Feb 2025 06:00:00 EST Marcel P. Goldschen-Ohm, of the University of Texas at Austin, USA will be honored as the recipient of the Biophysical Journal Paper of the Year-Early Career Investigator Award at the 69th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society, held February 15-19 in Los Angeles, California. This award recognizes the work of outstanding early career investigators in biophysics. Biophysical Society /articles/new-insights-into-alzheimer-s-brain-inflammation/?sc=rsin /articles/new-insights-into-alzheimer-s-brain-inflammation/?sc=rsin Sat, 15 Feb 2025 06:00:00 EST ROCKVILLE, MD - Brain inflammation, while a crucial part of the body's immune response, takes on a detrimental role in Alzheimer's disease. Unlike the acute, short-lived inflammation that combats infection, the inflammation associated with Alzheimer's becomes chronic and persistent. Scientists have been trying to understand why this happens. Biophysical Society /articles/sweet-taste-receptors-in-the-heart-a-new-pathway-for-cardiac-regulation/?sc=rsin /articles/sweet-taste-receptors-in-the-heart-a-new-pathway-for-cardiac-regulation/?sc=rsin Sat, 15 Feb 2025 06:00:00 EST In a surprising discovery, scientists have found that the heart possesses "sweet taste" receptors, similar to those on our tongues, and that stimulating these receptors with sweet substances can modulate the heartbeat. This research opens new avenues for understanding heart function and potentially for developing novel treatments for heart failure. Biophysical Society /articles/scientists-discover-genetic-weak-spot-in-endangered-italian-bear-population/?sc=rsin /articles/scientists-discover-genetic-weak-spot-in-endangered-italian-bear-population/?sc=rsin Sat, 15 Feb 2025 06:00:00 EST The Apennine brown bear, also known as the Marsican brown bear (Ursus arctos marsicanus), is a unique and critically endangered subspecies of brown bear found only in the remote and rugged Apennine Mountains of central Italy. A new study by the Italian Endemixit project (endemixit.com) reveals a potentially critical genetic flaw in the endangered Apennine brown bear population of Italy, offering insights that could help boost conservation efforts. Biophysical Society /articles/cone-snail-toxin-inspires-new-method-for-studying-molecular-interactions/?sc=rsin /articles/cone-snail-toxin-inspires-new-method-for-studying-molecular-interactions/?sc=rsin Sat, 15 Feb 2025 06:00:00 EST ROCKVILLE, MD - When scientists develop new molecules--whether for the purposes of agriculture, species control, or life-savings drugs - important to know exactly what its targets are. Thoroughly understanding a molecule's interactions, both intended and unintended, is crucial for ensuring its safety and efficacy. Biophysical Society /articles/how-neurodegenerative-diseases-disrupt-brain-fat-processing/?sc=rsin /articles/how-neurodegenerative-diseases-disrupt-brain-fat-processing/?sc=rsin Sat, 15 Feb 2025 06:00:00 EST ROCKVILLE, MD - Tau protein tangles are a hallmark of Alzheimer's, but new research reveals that tau has a critical role in regulating fat metabolism in the brain; when tau become dysfunctional it may promote the buildup of toxic fats, contributing to disrupted fat metabolism and neurodegeneration."Historically, neurodegeneration has been studied from the protein side. Biophysical Society /articles/designing-antivirals-for-shape-shifting-viruses/?sc=rsin /articles/designing-antivirals-for-shape-shifting-viruses/?sc=rsin Sat, 15 Feb 2025 06:00:00 EST Viruses, like those that cause COVID-19 or HIV, are formidable opponents once they invade our bodies. Antiviral treatments strive to block a virus or halt its replication. However, viruses are dynamic - constantly evolving and changing shape, which can make designing antiviral treatments a challenge. Biophysical Society /articles/meeting-wire-sent17/?sc=rsin /articles/meeting-wire-sent17/?sc=rsin Thu, 13 Feb 2025 17:25:59 EST Meeting wire sent Biophysical Society /articles/biophysical-society-names-2025-society-award-recipients/?sc=rsin /articles/biophysical-society-names-2025-society-award-recipients/?sc=rsin Tue, 24 Sep 2024 12:05:41 EST The Biophysical Society is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2025 Society Awards. These awards are very competitive in nature and are intended to recognize Society members for excellence in biophysics. The winners will be honored at the Society's 69th Annual Meeting being held in Los Angeles, California from February 15-19, 2025. Biophysical Society /articles/biophysical-society-announces-2025-society-fellows/?sc=rsin /articles/biophysical-society-announces-2025-society-fellows/?sc=rsin Tue, 24 Sep 2024 12:05:09 EST The Biophysical Society is proud to announce its 2025 Society Fellows. This award honors the Society's distinguished members who have demonstrated excellence in science and contributed to the expansion of the field of biophysics. The Fellows will be honored at the Biophysical Society's 69th Annual Meeting, being held in Los Angeles, California from February 15-19, 2025. Biophysical Society /articles/biophysical-society-announces-the-results-of-its-2024-elections/?sc=rsin /articles/biophysical-society-announces-the-results-of-its-2024-elections/?sc=rsin Wed, 07 Aug 2024 12:05:50 EST ROCKVILLE, MD - Karen Fleming has been elected President-elect of the Biophysical Society (BPS). She will assume the office of President-elect at the 2025 Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, California and begin her term as President during the 2026 Annual Meeting in San Francisco, California. Fleming is a Professor of Biophysics at Johns Hopkins University. Biophysical Society /articles/using-ion-beams-to-improve-brain-microscopy/?sc=rsin /articles/using-ion-beams-to-improve-brain-microscopy/?sc=rsin Sat, 10 Feb 2024 08:00:00 EST Improving the way scientists can see the microscopic structures of the brain can improve our understanding of a host of brain diseases, like Alzheimer's or multiple sclerosis. Studying these diseases is challenging and has been limited by accuracy of available models.To see the smallest parts of cells, scientists often use a technique called electron microscopy. Biophysical Society /articles/why-ventilators-can-be-tough-on-preemie-lungs/?sc=rsin /articles/why-ventilators-can-be-tough-on-preemie-lungs/?sc=rsin Sat, 10 Feb 2024 08:00:00 EST Many premature infants need mechanical ventilation to breathe. However, prolonged ventilation can lead to problems like respiratory diseases or ventilation-induced injury.Jonas Naumann and Mareike Zink study the physics of mechanical stress from ventilation at Leipzig University, in Leipzig, Germany and discovered some of the mechanisms that explain why premature lungs are especially sensitive to stress. Biophysical Society /articles/new-method-could-detect-early-ovarian-cancer-from-urine-samples/?sc=rsin /articles/new-method-could-detect-early-ovarian-cancer-from-urine-samples/?sc=rsin Sat, 10 Feb 2024 08:00:00 EST Ovarian cancer is hard to diagnose in its early stages because it has vague symptoms, such as constipation, bloating, and back pain. Biophysical Society /articles/3d-ice-printing-can-create-artificial-blood-vessels-in-engineered-tissue/?sc=rsin /articles/3d-ice-printing-can-create-artificial-blood-vessels-in-engineered-tissue/?sc=rsin Sat, 10 Feb 2024 08:00:00 EST Over 100,000 individuals in the United States are currently in need of organ transplants. The demand for organs, such as hearts, kidneys, and livers, far exceeds the available supply and people sometimes wait years to receive a donated organ. Biophysical Society /articles/faster-monkeypox-mpox-testing-through-crispr/?sc=rsin /articles/faster-monkeypox-mpox-testing-through-crispr/?sc=rsin Sat, 10 Feb 2024 07:00:00 EST Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a rare viral disease that is spread through physical contact between people. Biophysical Society /articles/how-ancient-sea-creatures-can-inform-soft-robotics/?sc=rsin /articles/how-ancient-sea-creatures-can-inform-soft-robotics/?sc=rsin Sat, 10 Feb 2024 07:00:00 EST Soft robotics is the study of creating robots from soft materials, which has the advantage of flexibility and safety in human interactions. These robots are well-suited for applications ranging from medical devices to enhancing efficiency in various tasks. Biophysical Society /articles/the-biophysical-journal-names-erdic-sezgin-the-2023-paper-of-the-year-early-career-investigator-awardee/?sc=rsin /articles/the-biophysical-journal-names-erdic-sezgin-the-2023-paper-of-the-year-early-career-investigator-awardee/?sc=rsin Fri, 09 Feb 2024 13:05:54 EST ROCKVILLE, MD - Erdic Sezgin, of Karolinska Institutet, Sweden will be honored as the recipient of the Biophysical Journal Paper of the Year-Early Career Investigator Award at the 68th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society, held February 10-14 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Biophysical Society