{"id":42734,"date":"2021-10-15T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-15T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/?p=42734"},"modified":"2024-03-22T15:07:20","modified_gmt":"2024-03-22T14:07:20","slug":"how-herpes-seizes-proteins-means-of-production","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science\/how-herpes-seizes-proteins-means-of-production\/","title":{"rendered":"How herpes seizes proteins\u2019 means of production"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.path.cam.ac.uk\/directory\/stephen-graham\">Graham<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.path.cam.ac.uk\/directory\/colin-crump\">Crump<\/a> groups at the University of Cambridge and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/groups\/svergun\/\">Svergun Group<\/a> at EMBL Hamburg have discovered a mechanism by which the herpes simplex virus takes control of the molecular machinery of human cells. Their work reveals how a dedicated viral protein hijacks key host proteins, forcing the host cell to produce and release copies of the virus.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Have you ever experienced a cold sore on your lip? If so, you\u2019re not alone. The World Health Organization estimates that worldwide<ins>,<\/ins> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.who.int\/news-room\/fact-sheets\/detail\/herpes-simplex-virus\">67% of people under the age of 50 are infected<\/a> with herpes simplex virus (HSV-1), which is well known for causing cold sores. It can also cause genital herpes, blindness, and in rare cases, brain infection and death. Some studies suggest that HSV-1 infection may also increase the long-term risk of dementia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once infected, a person carries the virus with them for life. While some of the symptoms can be treated, there is currently no cure and no effective vaccine. The virus remains dormant in our nerve cells, only to reappear and cause renewed symptoms under certain conditions, such as stress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"a1\"><strong>Hijacking the production managers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Like other viruses, HSV-1 multiplies by hijacking the molecular machinery of infected human cells. The infected cell starts to produce copies of the virus, which then use the cell\u2019s secretory system to exit the host cell and infect other cells. Disrupting this cycle at any stage \u2013 cell entry, virus production, or egress from the cell \u2013 could halt the spread of the virus and stop the infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the steps required for virus replication is the production of viral proteins. To ensure all parts of the molecular machinery work in synchrony, cells have dedicated \u2018production managers\u2019 \u2013 proteins that switch other proteins on and off when needed. Some of these proteins, called kinases, attach a small molecular \u2018tag\u2019 to the protein they control. Others, called phosphatases, do the opposite \u2013 they remove the tag. To reprogram a cell\u2019s metabolism, viruses often hijack these production managers. While many studies have looked at how viruses hijack kinases, very little is known about their influence on phosphatases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"a2\"><strong>Flexibility is the key<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To fill this gap, the Graham and Crump groups at the University of Cambridge and the Svergun Group at EMBL Hamburg studied the effect of HSV-1 on phosphatases. The scientists revealed a new mechanism by which HSV-1 hijacks a human phosphatase. They investigated a viral protein called pUL21, which is critical for the spread of the virus, and found that it binds the phosphatase and other human proteins involved in protein secretion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How can pUL21 be so versatile and hijack not just one but several different proteins? To answer this question, the Svergun Group used a structural biology technique called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science\/saxs-explained\/\">small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS)<\/a>, which allows scientists to study the dynamic movements of proteins. SAXS revealed that pUL21 comes in the shape of a flexible string with rigid components at each end, which bind other proteins. It \u2018chains\u2019 the human phosphatase 1 bound at one end to another protein at the other end, just like handcuffs. By bringing the two proteins close together, pUL21 forces the phosphatase to steer the activity of the other protein, which in turn supports the production and release of viral copies from the cell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s fascinating that pUL21 can bind human proteins of different shapes and sizes. It\u2019s because it\u2019s so flexible,\u201d said Dr Cy Jeffries, a senior scientist in the Svergun Group. \u201cA protein that adapts its shape so easily can serve multiple purposes. That explains how the virus can interfere with so many cellular processes despite having only a few proteins of its own.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"a3\"><strong>Towards new therapeutic strategies<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe saw that pUL21\u2019s flexibility plays a major role in viral replication. The SAXS expertise of our long-established collaborators at EMBL Hamburg helped us uncover how this happens,\u201d said Dr Stephen Graham. \u201cUnderstanding how the viral protein behaves and interacts with human proteins may help design new drugs and vaccines against herpes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Infection biology, which is one of EMBL Hamburg\u2019s areas of focus, is at the heart of the forthcoming EMBL Programme, <em>Molecules to Ecosystems<\/em> <em>2022\u20132026<\/em>. As part of the programme, EMBL will take an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the molecular basis of life in the context of its environment. This will provide the fundamental science needed to support translational advances in human and planetary health.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Graham and Crump groups at the University of Cambridge and the Svergun Group at EMBL Hamburg have discovered a mechanism by which the herpes simplex virus takes control of the molecular machinery of human cells. Their work reveals how a dedicated viral protein hijacks key host proteins, forcing&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":96,"featured_media":43330,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,17591],"tags":[726,53,11064,3684,928,156,616,11066,5752,251,35,250,659,708],"embl_taxonomy":[9596,19379],"class_list":["post-42734","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science","category-science-technology","tag-beamline","tag-hamburg","tag-herpes","tag-infection-biology","tag-infectious-disease","tag-molecular-interaction","tag-protein","tag-protein-dynamics","tag-protein-structure","tag-small-angle-x-ray-scattering-saxs","tag-structural-biology","tag-svergun","tag-virus","tag-x-ray","embl_taxonomy-embl-hamburg","embl_taxonomy-small-angle-x-ray-scattering"],"acf":{"featured":true,"show_featured_image":false,"field_target_display":"embl","article_intro":"<p>Scientists at EMBL Hamburg helped to reveal how the herpes simplex virus hijacks human proteins<\/p>\n","related_links":[{"link_description":"Research in the Svergun Group ","link_url":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/groups\/svergun\/"},{"link_description":"SAXS beamline at EMBL Hamburg ","link_url":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/groups\/small-angle-x-ray-scattering\/"},{"link_description":"Research at EMBL Hamburg","link_url":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/research\/units\/structural-biology-hamburg\/"},{"link_description":"Swordfish sword under X-rays: SAXS explained","link_url":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science\/saxs-explained\/"}],"source_article":false,"in_this_article":[{"heading_description":"Hijacking the production managers","anchor":"#a1"},{"heading_description":"Flexibility is the key","anchor":"#a2"},{"heading_description":"Towards new therapeutic strategies","anchor":"#a3"}],"press_contact":"None","vf_locked":false,"field_article_language":{"value":"english","label":"English"},"article_translations":false,"languages":""},"embl_taxonomy_terms":[{"uuid":"a:3:{i:0;s:36:\"b14d3f13-5670-44fb-8970-e54dfd9c921a\";i:1;s:36:\"89e00fee-87f4-482e-a801-4c3548bb6a58\";i:2;s:36:\"613c4de5-1775-447f-af71-4b07085318e9\";}","parents":[],"name":["EMBL Hamburg"],"slug":"embl-hamburg","description":"Where &gt; All EMBL sites &gt; EMBL Hamburg"},{"uuid":"a:3:{i:0;s:36:\"302cfdf7-365b-462a-be65-82c7b783ebf7\";i:1;s:36:\"42b86629-bf66-44cd-b9e0-61590f8e8584\";i:2;s:36:\"435f45bd-831d-4611-9428-ee96aaa8e9a1\";}","parents":[],"name":["Small Angle X-Ray Scattering "],"slug":"small-angle-x-ray-scattering","description":"What &gt; Services at EMBL Hamburg &gt; Small Angle X-Ray Scattering"}],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How herpes seizes proteins\u2019 means of production | EMBL<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Scientists at EMBL Hamburg specialised in small-anggle X-ray scattering helped to reveal how the herpes simplex virus hijacks human proteins.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science\/how-herpes-seizes-proteins-means-of-production\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How herpes seizes proteins\u2019 means of production | EMBL\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Scientists at EMBL Hamburg specialised in small-anggle X-ray scattering helped to reveal how the herpes simplex virus hijacks human proteins.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science\/how-herpes-seizes-proteins-means-of-production\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"EMBL\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/embl.org\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-10-15T09:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-03-22T14:07:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/SAXS-Herpes-1000x600-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Dorota Badowska\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@d_badowska\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@embl\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Dorota Badowska\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science\/how-herpes-seizes-proteins-means-of-production\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science\/how-herpes-seizes-proteins-means-of-production\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Dorota Badowska\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/b8ae50efcd7533f0ab2ec368736b1d04\"},\"headline\":\"How herpes seizes proteins\u2019 means of production\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-10-15T09:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-03-22T14:07:20+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science\/how-herpes-seizes-proteins-means-of-production\/\"},\"wordCount\":735,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science\/how-herpes-seizes-proteins-means-of-production\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/SAXS-Herpes-1000x600-1.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"beamline\",\"hamburg\",\"herpes\",\"infection biology\",\"infectious disease\",\"molecular interaction\",\"protein\",\"protein dynamics\",\"protein structure\",\"small-angle x-ray scattering (saxs)\",\"structural biology\",\"svergun\",\"virus\",\"x-ray\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Science\",\"Science &amp; Technology\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science\/how-herpes-seizes-proteins-means-of-production\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science\/how-herpes-seizes-proteins-means-of-production\/\",\"name\":\"How herpes seizes proteins\u2019 means of production | EMBL\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science\/how-herpes-seizes-proteins-means-of-production\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science\/how-herpes-seizes-proteins-means-of-production\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/SAXS-Herpes-1000x600-1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-10-15T09:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-03-22T14:07:20+00:00\",\"description\":\"Scientists at EMBL Hamburg specialised in small-anggle X-ray scattering helped to reveal how the herpes simplex virus hijacks human proteins.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science\/how-herpes-seizes-proteins-means-of-production\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science\/how-herpes-seizes-proteins-means-of-production\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/SAXS-Herpes-1000x600-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/SAXS-Herpes-1000x600-1.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":600,\"caption\":\"Many viruses use dedicated viral proteins that hijack host proteins, to reprogram a cell\u2019s metabolism and produce copies of the virus. One of such hijackers used by herpes simplex virus 1 can control not one, but many host\u2019s proteins thanks to its great flexibility. Image: Isabel Romero Calvo\/EMBL\"},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/\",\"name\":\"European Molecular Biology Laboratory News\",\"description\":\"News from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/#organization\"},\"alternateName\":\"EMBL News\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/#organization\",\"name\":\"European Molecular Biology Laboratory\",\"alternateName\":\"EMBL\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/EMBL_logo_colour-1-300x144-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/EMBL_logo_colour-1-300x144-1.png\",\"width\":300,\"height\":144,\"caption\":\"European Molecular Biology Laboratory\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/embl.org\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/embl\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/embl_org\/\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/15813\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/emblmedia\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/b8ae50efcd7533f0ab2ec368736b1d04\",\"name\":\"Dorota Badowska\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/71b761203da9931cfcd018d7d980d858eaf63f8ff17a65ddf17171da6835e105?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/71b761203da9931cfcd018d7d980d858eaf63f8ff17a65ddf17171da6835e105?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Dorota Badowska\"},\"description\":\"Endlessly curious science communicator. Neuroscientist in past life.\",\"sameAs\":[\"linkedin.com\/in\/dorotabadowska\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/d_badowska\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/author\/dorota-badowskaembl-hamburg-de\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How herpes seizes proteins\u2019 means of production | EMBL","description":"Scientists at EMBL Hamburg specialised in small-anggle X-ray scattering helped to reveal how the herpes simplex virus hijacks human proteins.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science\/how-herpes-seizes-proteins-means-of-production\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How herpes seizes proteins\u2019 means of production | EMBL","og_description":"Scientists at EMBL Hamburg specialised in small-anggle X-ray scattering helped to reveal how the herpes simplex virus hijacks human proteins.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science\/how-herpes-seizes-proteins-means-of-production\/","og_site_name":"EMBL","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/embl.org\/","article_published_time":"2021-10-15T09:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-03-22T14:07:20+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1000,"height":600,"url":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/SAXS-Herpes-1000x600-1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Dorota Badowska","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@d_badowska","twitter_site":"@embl","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Dorota Badowska","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science\/how-herpes-seizes-proteins-means-of-production\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science\/how-herpes-seizes-proteins-means-of-production\/"},"author":{"name":"Dorota Badowska","@id":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/b8ae50efcd7533f0ab2ec368736b1d04"},"headline":"How herpes seizes proteins\u2019 means of production","datePublished":"2021-10-15T09:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2024-03-22T14:07:20+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science\/how-herpes-seizes-proteins-means-of-production\/"},"wordCount":735,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science\/how-herpes-seizes-proteins-means-of-production\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/SAXS-Herpes-1000x600-1.jpg","keywords":["beamline","hamburg","herpes","infection biology","infectious disease","molecular interaction","protein","protein dynamics","protein structure","small-angle x-ray scattering (saxs)","structural biology","svergun","virus","x-ray"],"articleSection":["Science","Science &amp; Technology"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science\/how-herpes-seizes-proteins-means-of-production\/","url":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science\/how-herpes-seizes-proteins-means-of-production\/","name":"How herpes seizes proteins\u2019 means of production | EMBL","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science\/how-herpes-seizes-proteins-means-of-production\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science\/how-herpes-seizes-proteins-means-of-production\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/SAXS-Herpes-1000x600-1.jpg","datePublished":"2021-10-15T09:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2024-03-22T14:07:20+00:00","description":"Scientists at EMBL Hamburg specialised in small-anggle X-ray scattering helped to reveal how the herpes simplex virus hijacks human proteins.","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science\/how-herpes-seizes-proteins-means-of-production\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science\/how-herpes-seizes-proteins-means-of-production\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/SAXS-Herpes-1000x600-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/SAXS-Herpes-1000x600-1.jpg","width":1000,"height":600,"caption":"Many viruses use dedicated viral proteins that hijack host proteins, to reprogram a cell\u2019s metabolism and produce copies of the virus. One of such hijackers used by herpes simplex virus 1 can control not one, but many host\u2019s proteins thanks to its great flexibility. Image: Isabel Romero Calvo\/EMBL"},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/","name":"European Molecular Biology Laboratory News","description":"News from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/#organization"},"alternateName":"EMBL News","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/#organization","name":"European Molecular Biology Laboratory","alternateName":"EMBL","url":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/EMBL_logo_colour-1-300x144-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/EMBL_logo_colour-1-300x144-1.png","width":300,"height":144,"caption":"European Molecular Biology Laboratory"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/embl.org\/","https:\/\/x.com\/embl","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/embl_org\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/15813\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/emblmedia\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/b8ae50efcd7533f0ab2ec368736b1d04","name":"Dorota Badowska","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/71b761203da9931cfcd018d7d980d858eaf63f8ff17a65ddf17171da6835e105?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/71b761203da9931cfcd018d7d980d858eaf63f8ff17a65ddf17171da6835e105?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Dorota Badowska"},"description":"Endlessly curious science communicator. Neuroscientist in past life.","sameAs":["linkedin.com\/in\/dorotabadowska","https:\/\/x.com\/d_badowska"],"url":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/author\/dorota-badowskaembl-hamburg-de\/"}]}},"field_target_display":"embl","field_article_language":{"value":"english","label":"English"},"fimg_url":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/SAXS-Herpes-1000x600-1.jpg","featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/SAXS-Herpes-1000x600-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42734","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/96"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42734"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42734\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":62331,"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42734\/revisions\/62331"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43330"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42734"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42734"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42734"},{"taxonomy":"embl_taxonomy","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/embl_taxonomy?post=42734"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}