Table of Contents

Research Articles

1

Mechanistic Insights into the Role of Hydrophobic Interactions in Protein Folding Pathways

Sven M. Jansen, Aria K. Patel, Li Wei-Hua

Department of Biophysics, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands; Department of Molecular Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India; School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China

Keywords: protein folding, hydrophobic interactions, molecular dynamics, circular dichroism, globular proteins, folding pathways

Understanding the dynamics of protein folding is crucial for elucidating the mechanisms underlying many biological processes and diseases. This study focuses on the role of hydrophobic interactions in...

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2

Dynamics of Synaptic Plasticity: Insights into Mechanisms of Neuronal Adaptation

Matthias P. Schneider, Linh Dao-Phuong, Tariq H. Al-Mansouri

Department of Neuroscience, University of Munich, Germany; Institute of Brain Research, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam; Department of Neurology, King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia

Keywords: synaptic plasticity, long-term potentiation, long-term depression, calcium signaling, AMPA receptor, NMDA receptor, electrophysiology

Synaptic plasticity is a cornerstone of neurobiological processes, essential for learning and memory formation. This study aims to elucidate the underlying mechanisms that govern synaptic plasticity t...

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3

Elucidating the Role of Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase in DNA Double-Strand Break Repair

Dr. Arjun V. Desai, Li-Xiu Zhang, Prof. Miriam van der Hoek

Department of Molecular Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India; Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China; Division of Biochemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands

Keywords: DNA repair, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, homologous recombination, non-homologous end joining, CRISPR-Cas9, apoptosis

DNA repair is critical for maintaining genomic integrity, with poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) playing a pivotal role in the repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). This study aims to delineate ...

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4

Dynamic Interplay of Mitochondrial and Lysosomal Networks in Cellular Function Regulation

Helena K. Fischer, Sunil Bhattacharya, Zhao Ming-Wei

Department of Molecular Biology, University of Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India; Institute of Cell and Molecular Biology, Tsinghua University, China

Keywords: organelle dynamics, mitochondria, lysosomes, cellular homeostasis, proteomics, live-cell imaging, VPS35

The dynamic interactions between organelles are crucial for maintaining cellular homeostasis and function. This study investigates the crosstalk between mitochondria and lysosomes, two vital organelle...

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5

Integrating Deep Learning and Evolutionary Algorithms for Enhanced Protein Structure Prediction

Stefan J. Müller, Mei-Ling Hu, Rajiv N. Patel

Department of Computational Biology, University of Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Bioinformatics, Peking University, China; Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, India

Keywords: protein structure prediction, deep learning, evolutionary algorithms, convolutional neural networks, genetic algorithm, TM-score, CASP benchmarks

Protein structure prediction remains a pivotal challenge in computational biology, with significant implications for drug discovery and molecular biology. This study aims to enhance the accuracy of pr...

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6

Interplay Between Human Gut Microbiome Diversity and Metabolic Health: A Cross-Cultural Analysis

Hans-Peter Müller, Min-Jae Lee, Fatima El-Sayed

Department of Microbial Ecology, University of Tübingen, Germany; Department of Life Sciences, Seoul National University, South Korea; Department of Biology, American University of Beirut, Lebanon

Keywords: gut microbiome, metabolic health, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, 16S rRNA sequencing, cross-cultural analysis, dietary influence

The human gut microbiome plays a pivotal role in maintaining metabolic health, yet its diversity is influenced by various cultural and dietary factors. This study explores the relationship between mic...

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7

Enhancing Plant Stress Tolerance through CRISPR-Cas9 Mediated Gene Editing in Arabidopsis thaliana

Konrad F. Müller, Kimiko Sato, Vikas N. Patel

Department of Plant Molecular Biology, University of Bonn, Germany; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Tokyo, Japan; Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, India

Keywords: CRISPR-Cas9, gene editing, Arabidopsis thaliana, drought tolerance, salinity tolerance, DREB1A, SOS1

The increasing prevalence of environmental stresses such as drought and salinity necessitates the development of crops with enhanced stress tolerance. This study aims to investigate the role of specif...

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8

Assessing the Role of Genetic Diversity in Climate Adaptation of Alpine Flora

Marta J. van der Meer, Takashi Inoue, Arjun Kumar

Department of Environmental Sciences, Utrecht University, Netherlands; Department of Botany, Kyoto University, Japan; Department of Ecology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India

Keywords: climate adaptation, genetic diversity, alpine flora, ecological resilience, phenotypic traits, biodiversity conservation, ecosystem resilience

Climate change poses a significant threat to global biodiversity, particularly in sensitive alpine ecosystems. This study investigates how genetic diversity within plant species contributes to their a...

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