Biochemistry News and Research

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Bacterial “Barcode” Deciphers the Fate of Proteins, Impacting Pathogen Behavior

Researchers at McMaster University have found a molecular “barcode” system that pathogenic bacteria use to identify harmful from beneficial molecules.

9 Jan 2024

New Method Reveals Bacteria's Protein Targeting System

Disease-causing bacteria of the genus Salmonella or Yersinia can use tiny injection apparatuses to inject harmful proteins into host cells, much to the discomfort of the infected person.

5 Jan 2024

The Adrenaline Puzzle Solved: Scientists Untangle Key Cell Receptor's Inner Workings

Through an international collaboration, scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital leveraged data science, pharmacology and structural information to conduct an atomic-level investigation into how each amino acid in the receptor that binds adrenaline contributes to receptor activity in the presence of this natural ligand.

26 Dec 2023

Structural Insights Unmask Novel Adaptations and Functions of Human LINE-1 ORF2

Martin Taylor, MD, PhD, a physician investigator in the Department of Pathology at Massachusetts General Hospital and an instructor in Pathology at Harvard Medical School, is the lead corresponding author of a new study in Nature, Structural Analysis and Inhibition of Human LINE-1 ORF2 Protein Reveals Novel Adaptations and Functions.

20 Dec 2023

Exploring Plants’ Complex Metabolic Networks

Plants have developed intricately complex metabolic networks. Over the years, researchers have concentrated on unraveling the processes through which plants generate secondary metabolites—compounds produced to bolster their defense and survival mechanisms.

19 Dec 2023

New AI-Generated Proteins Could Revolutionize Medicine and Beyond

A new study Dec. 18 in Nature reports an AI-driven advance in biotechnology with implications for drug development, disease detection, and environmental monitoring.

19 Dec 2023

Arabidopsis thaliana’s Pioneering Role in Complete Genome Sequencing

Arabidopsis thaliana, a globally cultivated species for genetic research, achieved the milestone of being the first plant to undergo complete genome sequencing.

18 Dec 2023

The Impact of Gut Microbiome Communities on Pathogen Protection

The gut microbiome, comprising numerous bacterial species, serves as a residence for various bacteria within the human digestive system.

15 Dec 2023

Zika's Enzyme Cascade Holds the Key to Viral Replication

Viruses operate with limited genetic material and a sparse protein repertoire, requiring efficient utilization of their components. The Zika virus serves as an illustrative case, producing only 10 proteins.

11 Dec 2023

Study Elucidates How Mutant NPM1 Protein Drives Leukemia by Activating Autophagy System

In a recent study, scientists led by Professor Stefan Müller from Goethe University's Institute of Biochemistry II investigated a specific form of blood cancer known as acute myeloid leukemia, or AML.

5 Dec 2023

Unraveling Bacterial Resistance: Unique Features Identified by McMaster University Scientists

Scientists at McMaster University have identified distinct features of a mechanism employed by bacteria to withstand a crucial category of antibiotics.

24 Nov 2023

SPT5 Identified as a Potential Target Protein for Treatment of MYC-Dependent Cancers

MYC proteins play an important role in many types of cancer. A research team at the University of Würzburg has now succeeded in indirectly influencing these proteins - with clear consequences for the tumor.

8 Nov 2023

CRISPR-Cas9 Enzyme's Magnesium Role Unraveled in DNA Cutting

The gene-editing technology known as CRISPR has led to revolutionary changes in agriculture, health research and more.

6 Nov 2023

Exploring Z-RNA’s Role in Immune Response

Quentin Vicens, an Assistant Professor of Biology and Biochemistry at the University of Houston, has been granted $1.2 million by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences to investigate the enigmatic Z-RNA structure found within human cells.

3 Nov 2023

New LoCKAmp Device Delivers Lab-Quality COVID Test Results in Just 3 Minutes

A virus diagnosis device that gives lab-quality results within just three minutes has been invented by engineers at the University of Bath, who describe it as the 'world's fastest Covid test'.

3 Nov 2023

Study Identifies Significant Changes in Peptides During Pyroglutamination

Peptides are biomolecules formed when two or more amino acids that perform key functions in the human organism, such as hormones, neurotransmitters, painkillers and antibiotics, bind together. For this reason, they are much studied and used by the pharmaceutical industry, for example.

2 Nov 2023