Amino Acid News and Research

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Amino Acid is one of several molecules that join together to form proteins. There are 20 common amino acids found in proteins.

Breakthrough Research Reveals Pathway to Early Protein Synthesis

Chemists at UCL have shown how two of biology's most fundamental ingredients, RNA (ribonucleic acid) and amino acids, could have spontaneously joined together at the origin of life four billion years ago.

28 Aug 2025

Researchers Decode How Plants Distribute Essential Amino Acids

Plants produce all amino acids essential for human life. This commonly occurs in specialised cell organelles, so-called plastids.

25 Aug 2025

MIT Researchers Unlock the Hidden Features of Protein Language Models

Within the past few years, models that can predict the structure or function of proteins have been widely used for a variety of biological applications, such as identifying drug targets and designing new therapeutic antibodies.

20 Aug 2025

Amino Acids as Key Mediators in the Tumor Immune Dialogue

The tumor microenvironment is not just a site of cancer growth—it is a high-stakes metabolic contest where tumor and immune cells vie for limited resources.

19 Aug 2025

Atomic-Level Models Reveal New Class Of Protein Misfolding

New computer simulations that model every atom of a protein as it folds into its final three-dimensional form support the existence of a recently identified type of protein misfolding.

11 Aug 2025

Small Protein LptM Plays Key Role in Assembling Protective Outer Membrane in Bacteria

Gram-negative bacteria pose a significant threat to global health due to their high resistance to antibiotics compared to that of Gram-positive bacteria.

5 Aug 2025

Small Changes in Brain Enzyme May Have Shaped Modern Human Behavior

The evolutionary success of our species may have hinged on minute changes to our brain biochemistry after we diverged from the lineage leading to Neanderthals and Denisovans about half a million years ago.

5 Aug 2025

Gene-Edited Mosquitoes Block Malaria Transmission

Genetic modification of mosquitoes with the FREP1Q224 allele shows significant promise for malaria elimination, maintaining fitness and reducing infections.

31 Jul 2025

Stability in Proteins Is More Like Lego Than Jenga

Proteins are life's molecular workhorses, doing everything from turning sunlight into food to fighting viruses.

29 Jul 2025

Gene Editing Offers New Hope to Stop Malaria Transmission

Mosquitoes kill more people each year than any other animal. In 2023, the blood-sucking insects infected a reported 263 million people with malaria, leading to nearly 600,000 deaths, 80% of which were children.

24 Jul 2025

Molecular Chatter Between Cells Drives Tumor Growth and Immune Suppression

A Ludwig Cancer Research study has identified a complex chain of molecular chatter by which cancer cells, exploiting ordinary metabolic processes, program one set of noncancerous cells to manipulate another set of such cells to support their growth and survival.

18 Jul 2025

Amino Acids Guide Cell Responses to Drugs Through a Complex Network

Amino acids play a fundamental role in regulating how cells respond to drugs. These molecules, which form proteins, act like bricks that communicate with each other within a structure.

17 Jul 2025

Researchers Uncover Complex Substrate Profile for Enzyme Action

Research on γ-secretase reveals its unique substrate recognition mechanism, offering potential for developing precise therapeutic agents for various diseases.

14 Jul 2025

Improved Bacterial Rubisco Offers Hope for Enhancing Plant Photosynthesis

During photosynthesis, an enzyme called rubisco catalyzes a key reaction - the incorporation of carbon dioxide into organic compounds to create sugars.

8 Jul 2025

Small Genetic Change in Humans Weakens Immune Attack on Solid Tumors

New research from UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center has uncovered an evolutionary change that may explain why certain immune cells in humans are less effective at fighting solid tumors compared to non-human primates.

4 Jul 2025

Uncovering the Gut Virome's Role in Health and Disease

The human gut is home to trillions of microbes, yet scientific understanding has largely focused on bacteria, leaving the virome—the community of viruses—relatively uncharted.

4 Jul 2025

ColdBrew Enhances Accuracy of Protein Water Mapping for Drug Design

Every protein in the body is encased in a water shell that directs protein structure, provides vital stability and steers function.

30 Jun 2025

Collagen and Chitin Amendments Support Soil Microbes to Control Nematode Infections

Collagen and chitin shift soil microbial communities and reduce root-knot nematode infections in tomato plants while improving plant growth and chlorophyll content.

23 Jun 2025

Novel Tool moPepGen Uncovers Hidden Genetic Variants at the Protein Level

Scientists at UCLA and the University of Toronto have developed an advanced computational tool, called moPepGen, that helps identify previously invisible genetic mutations in proteins, unlocking new possibilities in cancer research and beyond.

17 Jun 2025