Biochemistry News and Research

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Understanding Plant Repair of Light-Damaged Photosystems

More than two billion years ago, cyanobacteria started to produce oxygen in the primarily toxic atmosphere of Earth.

11 Feb 2025

New Study Reveals Energy-Saving Strategies in Neuronal Protein Synthesis

Nerve cells use incredible energy-saving techniques while still carrying out their primary functions.

10 Feb 2025

High-Resolution Images Reveal How Cells Discard Faulty Spliceosomes

A sophisticated molecular machine, the spliceosome, ensures the accurate assembly of genetic information from the genome into mature mRNA after it has been transcribed into mRNA precursors.

10 Feb 2025

New Technique Simplifies Search for Life Beyond Earth

Researchers have long investigated what type of life exists beyond Earth and how we can find it. A new method focuses on looking for one of the most basic signs of living microbes – movement.

8 Feb 2025

Genetic Map of Yerba Mate Offers Insight into Evolution of Caffeine Biosynthesis

Yerba mate, along with tea and coffee, is one of the world's most popular caffeinated beverages. Widely consumed in South America, this remarkable plant is rich in diverse, bioactive compounds that contribute many health benefits.

5 Feb 2025

Danish Protein Analysis to Revolutionize the Biopharma Industry’s Impurity Control

Since 2007, the contract laboratory Alphalyse A/S has developed and refined a new method of impurity analysis in biological pharmaceuticals based on mass spectrometry (MS).

3 Feb 2025

New Numbering System Advances Adhesion GPCR Research

Adhesion GPCRs are a group of cell-surface sensors associated with many body functions and diseases. However, they are not yet sufficiently understood to be exploited for therapies.

29 Jan 2025

Unique Genetic Signature Predicts Bacteria's Potential to Develop Antibiotic Resistance

Antibiotic resistance is a global public health crisis responsible for more than a million deaths annually.

29 Jan 2025

Microglia Response Varies Between Male and Female Mice

A collision happens. Someone is hurt, a head injury, a concussion. Just as the first responders arrive to help the person, inside the brain, another "crew" of responders is busy clearing debris and repairing injured tissue.

22 Jan 2025

Novel Fluorescent Probes Illuminate Cholesterol Dynamics in Live Cells

The quest to find solutions for Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders continues to be one of the most urgent priorities in brain research. According to Maciej J. Stawikowski, Ph.D., an Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science at Florida Atlantic University, the secret might be in comprehending how lipids like cholesterol flow through cells and impact communication.

20 Jan 2025

Oxygen Sensor Protein Offers Solution for Enhancing Nitrogen Fixation in Plants

A small helper for big tasks: an oxygen sensor protein protects the enzymatic machinery of biological nitrogen fixation from serious damage.

17 Jan 2025

Scientists Uncover Key Plant Metabolite to Block Biofilm Development

If your teeth have ever felt fuzzy after skipping a brushing, you've encountered biofilm-a slimy bacterial layer that clings to surfaces. In medical settings, biofilms make infections harder to treat when they form protective shields for bacteria on devices like catheters and implants.

13 Jan 2025

Illuminating RNA Function with Innovative Bioluminescent Probes

The molecule that reads the genetic data contained in DNA is called RNA. Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have found a method to tag RNA with a glowing bioluminescent molecule, which enables them to track RNA in real time as it travels throughout the body.

10 Jan 2025

New Insights into How Nitrogenase Enzyme Survives Oxygen Exposure

Nitrogen is an essential component in the production of amino acids and nucleic acids - both necessary for cell growth and function.

9 Jan 2025

Weak Molecular Interactions Trigger Autophagy in Cells

Recycling takes place in our cells at all times: in a process called autophagy, cell components that are no longer needed are enclosed by membranes and broken down into their basic building blocks.

8 Jan 2025

Zinc Stress Exposes Vulnerabilities in Drug-Resistant Bacteria

McMaster University researchers have identified zinc or the lack of it as a crucial weakness in drug-resistant bacteria.

7 Jan 2025

Stress Pathway in Microglia Found to Contribute to Alzheimer's Neurodegeneration

Researchers with the Advanced Science Research Center at the CUNY Graduate Center (CUNY ASRC) have unveiled a critical mechanism that links cellular stress in the brain to the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD).

26 Dec 2024

New Platform Simplifies Protein-Protein Interaction Measurements

A team led by researchers at the University of Toronto has created a platform, called SIMPL2, that revolutionizes the study of protein-protein interactions by simplifying detection while improving measurement accuracy.

26 Dec 2024

New Synthetic Biology Tool Improves Genetic Circuit Integration and Functionality

The research team led by Professor Jongmin Kim from the Department of Life Sciences at POSTECH, along with graduate students Hyunseop Goh and Seungdo Choi, has successfully developed the 'Synthetic Translational Coupling Element (SynTCE),' significantly enhancing the precision and integration density of genetic circuits in synthetic biology.

23 Dec 2024

Chaperone Proteins Unveil Their Role in Neurotransmission

A team of researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst is the first to show how proteins called "chaperones" are vital in ensuring that neurons can transmit signals to one another. When this neurotransmission breaks down, devastating diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's along with many others, can occur.

19 Dec 2024