What are they? The prion protein (PrP) is a widely expressed, membrane-associated protein transcribed from the PRNP gene, which is highly conserved among mammals. PrPs exist in two forms: a common, ...

Scientists at Northwestern University and University of California, Santa Barbara have created the first synthetic fragment of tau protein that acts like a prion. The “mini prion” folds and stacks ...

All mammals produce a version of the prion protein, but scientists don’t know what it normally does. In an altered form, the prion protein becomes an infectious agent that causes “mad cow disease” and ...

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State University researchers have described with single-molecule precision how copper ions cause prion proteins to misfold and seed the misfolding and clumping of nearby prion ...

In the field of COVID-19 research, attention has turned to a critical aspect: the prion region on the surface spike proteins of the virus and its implications, especially in the context of mRNA ...

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American It was probably only a matter of time until ...

The brain of a rat in which a fluorescent protein has been used to highlight transplanted human brain cells - Copyright Stanford University/AFP Sergiu PASCA The brain ...