Biochemistry News and Research

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New CRISPR System Destroys Diseased Cells With High Precision

A new kind of CRISPR that destroys cells rather than gene editing them has shown potential for killing sick cells while leaving healthy cells untouched.

8 May 2026

Cryo-EM Images Reveal Coronavirus Proofreading Enzyme in Atomic Detail

The closest-ever detailed look at a key enzyme inside the virus that causes COVID-19 could lead to more effective treatment of the disease.

8 May 2026

UNC Professor Receives Grant to Investigate Origins of the Genetic Code

Over the course of natural history, animals and plants have evolved to adapt to an ever-changing environment and increase the chances of survival. So, too, has our own DNA.

7 May 2026

Breakthrough CRISPR Discovery Enables Selective Destruction of Cancerous Cells

Among the challenges in treating disease, including cancer, is wiping out malignancies, infection, contaminants or other pathologies, without destroying healthy tissue.

7 May 2026

Interactions Across the Genome Drive Neurodevelopmental Risks

People who have the same deletion of a section of chromosome 16 are susceptible to neurodevelopmental disorders; however, some may simply show moderate psychological symptoms like anxiety or depression, while others may have significant intellectual disability or developmental delay.

6 May 2026

Discovery Shows How Plants Prevent Excess Immune Responses

Salicylic acid, the active molecule in aspirin and some acne medications, is a hormone in plants that is essential for immunity, but it's a double-edged sword: Too much can cause autoimmunity and stunt growth.

5 May 2026

Engineered Bacteriophage Speeds up the "Training" of Plastic-Eating Bacteria

Millions of tons of plastic waste build up in landfills and oceans each year. One promising approach is to engineer microbes to break plastic down into useful chemical building blocks.

4 May 2026

Understanding the Origin of Early Life and Mystery of Protein Folding

How did the earliest life on Earth build complex biological machinery with so few tools? A new study explores how the simplest building blocks of proteins - once limited to just half of today's amino acids - could still form the sophisticated structures life depends on.

30 Apr 2026

High Resolution Images Reveal DNA Repair Process in Key Protein

Scientists have captured the most detailed structural images to date of a specific type of protein's DNA repair process, a finding that could reveal ways to inhibit the effects of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations that heighten the risk for breast, ovarian and other cancers.

28 Apr 2026

Generative AI Model Accelerates Drug Discovery With New Antibiotic Candidate

Researchers at McMaster University have developed a new generative artificial intelligence (AI) model capable of drastically speeding up drug discovery - and, in early tests, it has already designed a brand-new antibiotic.

24 Apr 2026

Stress Response in Polyploid Cells Fuels Cancer Progression

One of the biggest challenges in cancer research is understanding why some tumor cells become especially aggressive, invasive and resistant to treatment.

24 Apr 2026

New Methods Increase Understanding of How Bacteria Manage DNA

New analytical methods developed at Baylor College of Medicine and collaborating institutions have increased our understanding of how bacteria manage DNA.

23 Apr 2026

Scientists Uncover How "Sorting Hubs" Clear Damaged Proteins From Cells

Inside every cell, a cleanup operation runs around the clock. Proteins are constantly damaged by wear and tear. Some can be repaired, while others must be dismantled and recycled. When this system fails, damaged proteins accumulate in clumps associated with diseases such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Frontotemporal Dementia.

16 Apr 2026

Natural Skincare Hero Madecassic Acid Found to Combat Antibiotic Resistance

Fans of Korean skincare may be familiar with 'hero ingredient' Madecassic acid for its skin-soothing properties, but researchers at the University of Kent have revealed its greater potential for use in the battle against antibiotic resistance.

11 Apr 2026

CIPHER-seq Reveals RNA and Protein Activity in Immune Cells

A new single-cell technology is giving scientists their clearest view yet of immune cell behavior-capturing not just genetic intent but real-time activity.

9 Apr 2026

How Bacterial Enzymes Use Ratchet Mechanisms to Break Down Collagen

Collagen is an important protein that helps build the tissues of humans and animals. It is very strong because it is made of three protein strands twisted tightly together like a rope. Because of this sturdy structure, ordinary protein-cutting enzymes usually cannot break it down.

6 Apr 2026

Cysteine Pathways Shape T Cell Expansion and Cancer Defense

A research team from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, its Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have discovered how the immune system's CD8+ T cells use the nutrient cysteine to control two essential functions that compete for this resource - the immune cell's ability to multiply and its ability to kill cancer cells.

1 Apr 2026