Tag: Computational Biology
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A Computational Approach to Plant Fruit Architecture and Seed Dispersal
Introduction Plants have evolved a remarkable variety of fruit architectures, a suite of traits designed to protect seeds from the environment while maximizing dispersal opportunities. In recent years, a computational approach has become a powerful tool for understanding how fruit shape, size, and tissue properties influence seed release, predator avoidance, and interaction with animal dispersers.…
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A Computational Approach to Fruit Architecture and Seed Dispersal
Introduction Plants have evolved diverse fruit architectures to protect seeds from environmental hazards and to enhance dispersal by attracting animals. Understanding these complex forms—how they shield seeds, entice fauna, and ultimately maximize reproductive success—requires more than traditional observation. A computational approach combines biology, geometry, and data science to model fruit morphology, simulate dispersal dynamics, and…
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How a Scientific Sandbox Sheds Light on the Evolution of Vision Systems
Introduction: A New Way to Study the Eyes We Have The evolution of vision is a long, tangled story shaped by environmental pressures, anatomy, and the physics of light. Scientists have long studied how eyes—from the simple light-sensitive patches on ancient organisms to the complex camera-like eyes of humans—came to be. A new computational framework…
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A Scientific Sandbox Reveals How Vision Systems Evolved
A Scientific Sandbox for Vision Evolution Researchers at MIT have introduced a computational framework described as a “scientific sandbox”—a flexible environment that lets scientists simulate and study the environmental pressures that shape the evolution of vision. By creating virtual worlds with controllable lighting, textures, motion patterns, and ecological demands, the framework enables the systematic exploration…
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Why Eyes Evolved: MIT’s Sandbox for Vision Evolution
Introduction: A New Way to Study Eye Evolution Humans owe much of their perception to a long, winding history of optical innovation. From simple light-sensitive cells to complex retinas, eye design has been shaped by environmental pressures, ecological roles, and energetic costs. Yet we can’t travel back in time to observe these forces directly. Researchers…
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Galux and Boehringer Ingelheim Forge AI-Driven Protein Design Collaboration
Galux and Boehringer Ingelheim Announce Strategic Research Agreement Galux, a South Korean biotech innovator specializing in AI-driven protein therapeutics discovery, has entered a strategic research agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim. The collaboration aims to jointly explore and advance AI-assisted protein design, with a focus on accelerating the identification and optimization of novel therapeutic candidates. The partnership…
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MIT Deep-Learning Model Rearranges Our Understanding of Fruit Fly Cells
MIT Unveils a Deep‑Learning Tool to Predict Fruit Fly Cell Behavior Researchers at MIT, led by associate professor Ming Guo, have developed a cutting‑edge deep‑learning model that forecasts minute‑by‑minute cell actions in fruit fly embryos. The breakthrough promises to illuminate the earliest stages of development and could reshape how scientists study cell mechanics, tissue formation,…
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RNA Folding at Atomic Detail: How Molecular Dynamics Simulations Use Force Fields to Capture Structure
Overview: Why RNA Folding Matters in Molecular Dynamics Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is more than a genetic messenger. Its diverse roles in gene regulation, catalysis, and cellular maintenance depend on its ability to fold into intricate three-dimensional structures. Understanding these structures and the pathways by which RNA folds is crucial for uncovering mechanisms of biology and…
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RNA Folding under the Microscope: How Molecular Dynamics Shapes Understanding
Introduction: Why RNA Folding Matters Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is more than a messenger of genetic information. It plays diverse roles in gene regulation, processing, and maintenance across life’s domains. Understanding how RNA folds into its functional three-dimensional shapes is central to biology and medicine. In recent years, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have emerged as a…
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Advancing RNA Folding Insights with Atomistic Molecular Dynamics Simulations
Introduction: The Power of Atomistic MD in RNA research Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is one of life’s most versatile molecules, orchestrating gene regulation, processing, and maintenance across diverse biological systems. To fully understand RNA function, researchers increasingly rely on molecular dynamics (MD) simulations that use atomistic force fields to capture the subtleties of folding, dynamics, and…