In the evolutionary history of life, the ability of a cell to separate its inner world from the external environment was an important turning point. The so-called plasma membrane lets cells control ...

A surprising new function of essential hearing proteins may explain why some genetic mutations and common antibiotics lead to permanent deafness.

Proteins long known to be essential for hearing have been hiding a talent: they also act as gatekeepers that shuffle fatty molecules across cell membranes. When this newly discovered function goes ...

Scientists link TMC protein membrane disruption to hearing loss, showing how mutations, drugs and noise trigger hair cell death and deafness.