Enzyme News and Research

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Plants Reveal Backup Route for Managing Toxic Byproducts

A newly discovered pathway in a plant process could help farmers grow more successful crops, particularly in places where harsh, high light stresses plants.

18 Jul 2025

Brain Cells Show Unexpected Self-Sufficiency in Energy Use

A new Yale study has revealed that neurons - the energy-hungry cells that connect and direct activity in the brain - are equipped with "backup batteries" that kick in to keep the brain running during periods of metabolic stress.

18 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

Study Reveals Surprising Redundancy in Staph Metabolism

In the ongoing battle against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, MSU researchers have made a discovery that could reshape how we target deadly pathogens like staph infections.

17 Jul 2025

Paternal miRNAs Play Unexpected Role in Seed Viability and Embryogenesis

By using targeted gene silencing in different pollen cell types, the study reveals that disrupting DCL1 function either in the vegetative cell or in sperm cells leads to defective seed formation.

14 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

LINE1 Retrotransposon Found to Exploit Dormant Protein in Human Cells

An international research team led by Freiburg biologists Dr. Wenjing Qi and Prof. Ralf Baumeister has discovered how the LINE1 retrotransposon exploits a cell protein to become active itself, as occurs in tumors.

14 Jul 2025

Bacteria Show Unexpected Flexibility in Building Their Cell Walls

Closely related bacterial species use different strategies to build their cell walls, an international team of scientists led by Université de Montréal microbiology professor Yves Brun has found.

10 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

Cryo-EM Uncovers How Tiny Protein Enzyme Precisely Trims tRNA

To build proteins, cells rely on a molecule called transfer RNA, or tRNA. tRNAs act like protein-building couriers, where they read the genetic instructions from messenger RNA, mRNA, and deliver the right amino acids to ribosomes, the cell's protein-making factories.

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

Animal-Free 3D Fat-Immune Cell Model to Study Inflammation

Researchers developed a human adipocyte-macrophage co-culture model in GG hydrogels to study adipose tissue inflammation and test anti-inflammatory strategies.

3 Jul 2025

Combining AI with Robotics and Synthetic Biology to Improve Industrial Enzymes

By combining artificial intelligence with automated robotics and synthetic biology, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have dramatically improved performance of two important industrial enzymes - and created a user-friendly, fast process to improve many more.

2 Jul 2025

New Tool Reveals RNA Locations Inside Cells With Nanoscale Precision

A new tool called PHOTON, developed by scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center, can identify RNA molecules at their native locations within cells – providing valuable clues to where different RNA species are distributed spatially in response to various cellular cues.

30 Jun 2025

Yeast Model Offers Insight Into Proteasome and Mitochondria Interplay

A study by the Center for Redox Processes in Biomedicine (Redoxoma) led by Marilene Demasi from the Butantan Institute (São Paulo, Brazil) presents a valuable new experimental model for investigating the interaction between the proteasome and mitochondrial function.

30 Jun 2025

UT Southwestern Researchers Develop Multi-Organ Gene Editing Strategy

A gene-editing delivery system developed by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers simultaneously targeted the liver and lungs of a preclinical model of a rare genetic disease known as alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD), significantly improving symptoms for months after a single treatment, a new study shows.

23 Jun 2025

Study Reveals TRF's Role in Reshaping Gut Microbiome and Metabolism

Metatranscriptomics uncovers how time-restricted feeding restores gut microbial cycles, offering insights into improving metabolic health and disease treatment.

20 Jun 2025

Targeting RNA Polymerase 1 Rewires Cancer Cell Splicing and Halts Growth

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences uncovered a new tumor-suppressive response that could lead to novel therapies targeting hard-to-treat cancers.

19 Jun 2025

Placenta and Hormone Levels in the Womb May Have Been Key Driver in Human Evolution, Say Researchers

The placenta and the hormones it produces may have played a crucial role in the evolution of the human brain, while also leading to the behavioral traits that have made human societies able to thrive and expand, according to a new hypothesis proposed by researchers from the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford.

18 Jun 2025

Targeting iRhom2 to Control ADAM17-Related Diseases

The atomic structures of ADAM17 and iRhom2, revealed by UC researchers, offer new avenues for developing precise treatments for chronic inflammatory conditions.

16 Jun 2025