Scientists from the Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry RAS (IBCh RAS) with the participation of colleagues from the Institute of Human Morphology of RAMS and the Pirogov RSMU found that the enzyme phospholipase A2 from the Vipera nikolskii venom is able to adhere to lipid membranes (prototypes of cell membranes) and cause their aggregation, even if the activity of enzyme is specifically blocked. It turned out that this is due to the presence of two binding sites in the enzyme structure. Published in the journal Toxicon the results of the work help to understand how the multicomponent snakes’ venoms work.

From 7 to 11 May the fourth international conference on nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR 2017) was held on the island of Crete (Greece) in which scientists from the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry RAS took part. Together with other leading experts in the field of neurobiology associated with cholinergic transmission, they discussed the genetic, molecular, structural and cellular aspects of research and told what key trends in the development of this scientific area are actively supported now.

Researcher from the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences together with their colleagues have developed a method for stimulating neurons with infrared radiation. They implemented in mice neurons snake proteins that react to temperature – thermoreceptors. Published in Nature Communications journal results will help non-invasive stimulate neural networks in the deep layers of tissues in the body, as well as control the activity of other types of cells in living systems. In the future, it can help in the therapy of various nervous system diseases.