The Extraordinary “Rapunzel” Virus: An Evolutionary Marvel
Extremely long tail provides a window into how bacteria-infecting viruses assemble. A recent study in the Journal of Biological Chemistry has revealed the secret behind…
Biochemistry News
Unlocking the Mystery of Plant Breathing – Scientists Discover Mechanism Plants Use To Control “Mouths”
A significant discovery about the mechanisms by which plants open and close their stomata could lead to new methods of protecting crops from the effects…
Compound Created That Can Reverse Effects of Potentially Deadly Drugs Like Meth and Fentanyl
Their method successfully counteracted two highly addictive drugs—fentanyl and methamphetamine—in lab experiments. Drug overdoses in the United States have risen sharply in the last two…
Gamma Rays and Meteorites: The Unlikely Duo That May Have Sparked Life on Earth
Even as detailed images of distant galaxies from the James Webb Space Telescope show us more of the greater universe, scientists still disagree about how…
Chemists Discover Why Synonymous DNA Mutations Are Not Always Silent
Modeling shows how genetic changes that don’t lead to changes in protein sequence can still alter protein function. New modeling shows how synonymous mutations —…
Anti-Inflammatory Molecules Discovered That Decline in the Aging Brain
The molecules, called SGDGs, may lead to new ways to treat age-related neurological diseases. Aging involves complicated plot twists and a large cast of characters,…
Ancient Chemistry: Why Living Things Use ATP As the Universal Energy Currency
An early step in metabolic evolution set the stage for emergence of ATP as the universal energy carrier. A simple two-carbon compound may have been…
First Theorized 70 Years Ago – “Rippled Beta Sheet” Created for the First Time
University of California, Santa Cruz, scientists report the creation of three crystal structures of periodic rippled beta sheets, a novel protein structure. A peculiar protein…
Advancing Structural Biology With Novel Cell-Free Protein Crystallization Method
Tokyo Tech developed a new cell-free protein crystallization (CFPC) method that includes direct protein crystallization and is a major advancement in the field of structural…
RNA-Editing Tool a Fast, Easy Test for COVID-19 and Other Diseases
Cas13 Engineered To Simplify the Identification of Coronavirus A new engineered CRISPR-based method accurately finds RNA from SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The highly…
Extending the Shelf Life of Vaccines – Like “Tupperware” for Proteins
Nearly half of all vaccines produced go to waste. This is because transporting them to diverse regions of the world involves many logistical challenges. Another…
Synthetic Polymers Promote Biofilm Formation and Increase Efficiency of Biocatalysis
Scientists from the University of Birmingham have revealed a new method to increase efficiency in biocatalysis. Their method is described in a paper published today…
Primordial Soup: Scientists Discover New “Origins of Life” Chemical Reactions
The reaction generates the building blocks of proteins and DNA: amino acids and nucleic acids. Four billion years ago, the Earth looked very different than…
Sugar Code in Protein: Paving the Way for Development of Biopharmaceuticals
Identification of a molecular code embedded in protein for regulating its glycosylation. Many proteins in nature exist as glycoproteins, which are molecules comprised of protein…
Case Solved: The Biosynthesis of Strychnine
Researchers from Jena show how the poison nut tree forms strychnine. A team of scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena…
A New Yale-Developed Model Could Lead to Improved Treatment of Diabetes and Obesity
A new model that will allow scientists to better study and treat metabolic illnesses Despite the fact that insulin was discovered more than a century…
Stanford Biochemists Successfully Change How the Brain Communicates With Itself
Enzymes are used by biochemists to alter how brain cells interact with one another While you read this sentence, the neurons in your brain are…
Biochemistry Breakthrough May Soon Have Asthmatics Breathing Easier
Scientists have discovered differences in the biochemistry of asthmatic and non-asthmatics — which could lead to more effective treatments. An important discovery that could lead…
