329 papers
Biophysics sits at the fascinating intersection where the laws of physics meet the complexity of living systems. This field uses tools like light, electricity, and mechanical forces to decode how cells move, how proteins fold, and how our senses translate the world around us. Rather than just observing biology, biophysicists measure and model life to understand the fundamental machinery that powers every organism.
On Gist.Science, we make these discoveries accessible by curating the latest preprints directly from bioRxiv. Our team processes every new submission in this category, providing both clear, plain-language overviews and detailed technical summaries so readers of all backgrounds can grasp the cutting-edge science. Below are the most recent biophysics papers from bioRxiv, ready for you to explore.
By combining 3D-reconstructed placental villi with computational diffusion modeling, this study demonstrates that classical stereological methods systematically overestimate the placental diffusive length scale by 15–25% due to unaccounted interface curvature, highlighting the need for geometry-aware corrections in structure-function analyses.
This study combines AI-based structure predictions and molecular dynamics simulations to elucidate the distinct structural organizations, membrane interactions, and substrate-binding mechanisms of the xanthan gum biosynthetic enzymes GumH and GumI, providing critical insights into their catalytic stereochemistry and potential for engineering.
Using advanced molecular dynamics simulations, this study reveals that lateral tension modulates the energetics of membrane deformation by opposing reductions in projected area—thereby influencing mechanosensitive protein conformations—without altering single-molecule lipid dynamics, while demonstrating that lipid composition changes can mimic these effects through membrane thinning.
This study utilizes genetic code expansion to incorporate the fluorescent noncanonical amino acid acridon-2-ylalanine into full-length human voltage-gated proton channels, enabling FRET-based measurements that confirm proper folding and reveal Zn2+-induced conformational changes clustered on the intracellular side.
Using a novel cryo-EM platform to apply tension, this study reveals that wild-type α-actinin-4 functions as a catch bond by transitioning from a weak to a strong binding state under force, whereas the FSGS-associated K255E mutation disrupts this mechanism by locking the protein in a single strong-binding state.
This study reveals that phosphorylation of Grb2 triggers a monomer-to-dimer switch that drives the formation of stable, enthalpy-driven liquid condensates, which act as dynamic scaffolds to recruit wild-type dimers and spatially organize Ras/MAPK signaling.
This paper proposes the "Kinetic Intron Hypothesis," a novel model suggesting that the vast, seemingly non-functional length of introns serves a purpose in mitosis and NTP resource management through the dynamics of RNA synthesis and degradation, supported by preliminary data that warrants further scientific validation.
This paper introduces DNAsight, a modular, machine learning-based framework that automates the segmentation and quantitative analysis of atomic force microscopy images to reveal protein-specific signatures of chromatin organization and nucleosome spacing without the need for labeling.
This study utilizes single-particle cryo-EM to determine the structure of the Gβγ-prefusion SNARE complex, revealing how Gβγ inhibits synaptic vesicle fusion by binding to the C-terminus of SNAP-25 to prevent the complete zippering of the SNARE complex and sterically hinder vesicle approach.
This study elucidates the structural basis of biased agonism at the chemokine receptor CCR7 by revealing how distinct binding modes of ligands CCL19 and CCL21 differentially modulate intracellular receptor dynamics to either permit or preclude kinase engagement, thereby driving divergent signaling outcomes.