Biochemistry News - SciTechDaily

New Study Unfolds the Electric Mystery of Peptides

Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 10:05:35 +0000

Researchers validated their findings, which were published in PNAS, using a combination of single-molecule experiments, molecular dynamics simulations, and quantum mechanics. A new study reveals that peptides with a folded structure conduct electricity better than their unfolded counterparts. Researchers at the Beckman Institute used experiments and simulations to demonstrate how these structures influence electron transport, [...]

New Research Shatters Old Beliefs About Gold Nanoparticles and Cancer

Mon, 29 Jul 2024 10:21:07 +0000

Research overturns old views on gold nanoparticles, showing larger, star-shaped ones are most effective against cancer, leading to a model that improves therapy design. Scientists have previously assumed that the smaller the nanoparticles used to fight the cancer cells, the faster they die. The logic behind this theory is that small nanoparticles would simply find [...]

Chemists Use Electricity To Turn Waste Molecules Into Valuable Liquid Fuel

Ohio State University — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 14:07:48 +0000

A study has revealed a more efficient method for creating methanol. For years, chemists have been striving to synthesize valuable materials from waste molecules. Now, an international team of scientists is investigating how electricity can simplify this process. In their study, recently published in Nature Catalysis, researchers demonstrated that carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, can [...]

Scientists Discover That Toxic Compounds in Everyday Products Are Disrupting Vital Human Proteins

University of Texas at El Paso — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 02:54:48 +0000

UTEP study reveals that both nanoplastics and forever chemicals modify crucial proteins in breast milk and infant formulas. Researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso have achieved important advancements in the study of nanoplastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also referred to as forever chemicals. Their research demonstrates how these compounds can [...]

Harvard Scientists Reveal Amazing Survival Strategies of Giant Deep-Sea Vent Tubeworm

Harvard University — Wed, 03 Jul 2024 09:57:57 +0000

Research on the deep-sea vent tubeworm Riftia pachyptila shows how its symbiotic bacteria use two carbon fixation pathways to adapt to deep-sea conditions, suggesting potential for biotechnological applications in carbon capture. The giant hydrothermal vent tubeworm Riftia pachyptila lives in the harsh deep-sea environment of the East Pacific Rise, where sunlight does not penetrate and [...]

Gene-Editing Strikes Oil: High-Yield Camelina Revolutionizes Biofuel

Brookhaven National Laboratory — Thu, 13 Jun 2024 20:16:10 +0000

Scientists have increased oil production in Camelina sativa by 21.4% by gene-editing the TT8 gene, paving the way for more efficient biofuel crops. As initiatives to reach net-zero carbon emissions from transportation fuels gain momentum, the need for oil derived from nonfood crops is on the rise. These crops harness sunlight to transform atmospheric carbon [...]

From Phytoplankton to Climate Change: Zinc’s Pivotal Role in Global Dynamics

Stellenbosch University — Thu, 13 Jun 2024 18:00:04 +0000

Delving into the depths of the Southern Ocean, recent research has spotlighted Zinc’s pivotal role in the oceanic carbon cycle and its broader environmental impacts. A study highlights the critical role of inorganic Zinc in the Southern Ocean’s influence on global biological processes and the carbon cycle. It emphasizes the interactions between Zinc and other [...]

Revolutionary New Pest Control Tool Discovered by Johns Hopkins

Johns Hopkins University — Sun, 09 Jun 2024 03:20:20 +0000

A Johns Hopkins study revealed that an enzyme in fruit fly testes could hinder insect reproduction by managing bromotyrosine accumulation, presenting a novel method for managing pests that threaten agriculture and spread diseases. A novel way to curb nagging insects has been flying under our radar—an enzyme from fruit fly testes. The compound could control [...]

Revolutionizing Molecular Science: Scientists Unveil Groundbreaking Single-Molecule Detection Technique

University of Wisconsin-Madison — Sun, 02 Jun 2024 19:01:32 +0000

University of Wisconsin–Madison scientists have developed a new, highly sensitive method to detect and analyze single molecules without using fluorescent labels, potentially transforming research in drug discovery and materials science. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have developed the most sensitive method yet for detecting and profiling a single molecule — unlocking a new tool [...]

Decoding Life’s Origins With Lost Biochemical Clues

Tokyo Institute of Technology — Tue, 28 May 2024 12:26:57 +0000

A new study demonstrates that just a handful of “forgotten” biochemical reactions are needed to transform simple geochemical compounds into the complex molecules of life. The origin of life on Earth has long been a mystery that has eluded scientists. A key question is how much of the history of life on Earth is lost [...]

Revolutionizing Organic Chemistry: Boronic Acid-Powered Enzyme Yields Groundbreaking Catalysis

University of Groningen — Fri, 17 May 2024 01:43:21 +0000

Boronic acid has been utilized in organic chemistry for decades, despite not being found in any living organism. ‘It gives rise to different chemical reactions than those we find in nature,’ explains Gerard Roelfes, Professor of Biomolecular Chemistry & Catalysis at the University of Groningen. His group created an enzyme with boronic acid at its [...]

Nature’s Tiny Architects: Designing Molecular Shapes for Medical Miracles

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory — Sun, 12 May 2024 13:10:02 +0000

Researchers have learned to control the “handedness” of peptoids, a crucial factor in precision drug delivery and diagnostics. Nature is filled with extraordinarily precise molecular shapes that fit together like a hand in glove. Proteins, for example, can assemble into a wide variety of well-defined shapes that grant them their function. “Depending on their shape, [...]

Cancer’s Hidden Code: Unmasking Atomic Secrets With Geological Precision

University of Colorado at Boulder — Mon, 06 May 2024 19:00:16 +0000

A groundbreaking study by CU Boulder and Princeton uses geological tools to detect cancer’s unique atomic signatures, potentially enabling early diagnosis. Scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder and Princeton University have, for the first time, employed a tool often used in geology to detect the atomic fingerprints of cancer. In a case of medicine [...]

Decoding the Origin of Life: Scientists Solve Early Earth RNA Puzzle

Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich — Sun, 07 Apr 2024 11:21:49 +0000

Recent research illustrates how RNA molecules’ chemical characteristics might have played a crucial role in the development of complex life forms. How did complex life manage to evolve on the early, inhospitable Earth? Initially, ribonucleic acid (RNA) must have existed to carry the first genetic information. For these biomolecules to build-up complexity in their sequences, [...]

From Chaos to Life: Unraveling Nature’s Ancient Molecular Kitchen

Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich — Sat, 06 Apr 2024 16:09:38 +0000

Life is complicated. What is true for our everyday existence also holds for the many complex processes that take place inside cells. Proteins are continuously synthesized, cell walls are constructed, and DNA is replicated This can only work when reaction partners converge at the right time in sufficiently high concentrations while suffering little disruption from [...]

Unlocking the Secrets of Life With RNA’s Ancient Code

Salk Institute — Mon, 01 Apr 2024 08:27:44 +0000

Salk scientists unveil RNA capabilities that enable Darwinian evolution at a molecular scale, and bring researchers closer to producing autonomous RNA life in the laboratory. Charles Darwin described evolution as “descent with modification.” Genetic information in the form of DNA sequences is copied and passed down from one generation to the next. But this process [...]

Primordial Beginnings: How Soda Lakes May Have Cradled Early Life

PNAS Nexus — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 06:01:05 +0000

A study suggests that soda lakes, characterized by high levels of dissolved sodium and carbonate, might have provided the right conditions for the first cells. These early cells may have been composed of RNA inside lipid membranes. But RNA function requires divalent cations such as Mg2+, which disrupt primitive membranes made of fatty acids. The [...]

Primordial Fuel: Uncovering Hydrogen’s Role at the Origin of Life

Heinrich-Heine University Duesseldorf — Tue, 26 Mar 2024 17:26:48 +0000

Hydrogen gas, dubbed the energy of the future, has been providing energy since 4 billion years ago. A recent study reveals how hydrogen gas, often touted as the energy source of tomorrow, provided energy in the past, at the origin of life 4 billion years ago. Hydrogen gas is clean fuel. It burns with oxygen [...]

Unlocking TNA: Researchers Develop Artificial Building Blocks of Life

University of Cologne — Mon, 25 Mar 2024 16:45:19 +0000

Groundbreaking research has led to the creation of threofuranosyl nucleic acid (TNA), offering enhanced stability and therapeutic potential, with applications in drug delivery and diagnostics. The DNA carries the genetic information of all living organisms and consists of only four different building blocks, the nucleotides. Nucleotides are composed of three distinctive parts: a sugar molecule, [...]

Vast Implications – Scientists Develop Novel Technique To Form Human Artificial Chromosomes

University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine — Sat, 23 Mar 2024 16:01:11 +0000

Researchers indicate that this technique will enhance lab research efficiency and broaden the scope of gene therapy. Human artificial chromosomes (HACs) that function within human cells hold the potential to revolutionize gene therapies, including treatments for certain cancers, and have numerous laboratory uses. However, significant technical challenges have impeded their progress. Now a team led [...]

New Phospholipid Discovery Rewrites the Story of the Origin of Life

Scripps Research — Sun, 17 Mar 2024 20:04:04 +0000

Recent discovery of a new phospholipid narrows the gap in understanding how primordial cells emerged during origin of life. Approximately 4 billion years ago, Earth was in the process of creating conditions suitable for life. Origin-of-life scientists often wonder if the type of chemistry found on the early Earth was similar to what life requires [...]

Unlocking Nature’s Secret: How Two Ferredoxins Fuel the Future of Fertilizers

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft — Thu, 07 Mar 2024 13:01:13 +0000

Discovering essential electron carriers in nitrogenases opens new paths for eco-friendly chemical production, addressing a long-standing research bottleneck. Nitrogenases are considered promising candidates for the sustainable enzymatic production of ammonia and carbon compounds. Unfortunately, one bottleneck in this complex process, the supply of electrons to the enzymes, has remained a mystery until now. Now a [...]

Scientists Discover Unconventional Method To Easily Improve Wine Quality

Universitat Rovira i Virgili — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 12:17:16 +0000

A study conducted by the Universitat Rovira i Virgili has discovered that a specific yeast can accelerate the winemaking process and enhance the organoleptic properties of wines. The market is showing a growing interest in carbonic maceration wines. These are youthful red wines characterized by dominant floral and fresh fruit scents, and they are best [...]

Unlocking Nature’s Secrets: Revolutionary Imaging Unveils Plant Degradation Mysteries

Maegan Murray, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory — Thu, 22 Feb 2024 10:27:27 +0000

Scientists at PNNL have devised a novel technique to visualize tiny inner workings of complex fungal community For years, researchers have dedicated themselves to developing methods that can effectively and economically break down plant materials, enabling their transformation into valuable bioproducts that enhance our daily lives. Bio-based fuels, detergents, nutritional supplements, and even plastics are [...]