Biochemistry News and Research

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ANKIB1 Identified as the Essential Master Switch for Innate Immunity

Innate immune sensors – known as pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) – detect specific molecular components of bacterial or viral intruders.

9 Mar 2026

Herpes “Liquefies” Human Cells to Speed up Infection

According to a new study, the herpes simplex virus partially liquefies the densely packed, gel-like core of human cell nuclei to duplicate itself more quickly.

6 Mar 2026

Evo 2 AI Model Learns Patterns Across DNA of Life

The DNA foundation model Evo 2, first released in February 2025 as a preprint, is now published in the journal Nature.

5 Mar 2026

Mitochondria Unveiled as the Cell’s Lipid Regulators

The cell’s powerhouse, known as mitochondria, appears to have the ability to control the quantity of lipid droplets in the cell. A mechanism designed for an entirely different purpose plays a key role here.

27 Feb 2026

Biofilms: The Unseen Factor in Human Space Travel

A global team of scientists has identified an often-overlooked biological system - biofilms - as a critical factor in the future of human space exploration.

26 Feb 2026

Study Reveals New Structural Role for HIV Integrase

The tiny shell protecting the HIV virus resembles a slightly rounded ice cream cone, but there is nothing sweet about it.

19 Feb 2026

Extracellular Matrix Sensing Enables Pancreatic Cancer Cells to Regulate Autophagy Levels

A feature of pancreatic cancer cells' surroundings determines whether they grow fast or become resistant to chemotherapy, a new study shows.

17 Feb 2026

Hidden Neuronal Lattice May Shield the Brain From Alzheimer’s

Brain cells are constantly swallowing material from the fluid that surrounds them - signaling molecules, nutrients, even pieces of their own surfaces - in a process known as endocytosis that is essential for learning, memory and basic neural upkeep.

12 Feb 2026

Cells Use Protein Partnership to Manage Oxidative Stress

Cornell researchers have discovered a new way cells regulate how they respond to stress, identifying an interaction between two proteins that helps keep a critical cellular recycling system in balance.

10 Feb 2026

Rapid Enzyme Screening Unlocks Efficient Routes to Complex Pharmaceuticals

A team of biochemists at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has developed a faster way to identify molecules in the lab that could lead to more effective pharmaceuticals.

6 Feb 2026

New Insights into TRiC and Prefoldin Mechanics

Proteins are the molecular machines of cells. They are manufactured in protein factories known as ribosomes using their blueprint, or genetic information.

6 Feb 2026

Study Reveals Dual Action Protein Protecting Bacteria From Phages

University of Toronto researchers have expanded our understanding of bacterial immunity with the discovery of a new protein that can both sense and counteract viral infections.

5 Feb 2026

Chemistry Breakthrough Improves Gene Delivery, Reduces Side Effects

Gene therapy holds the promise of preventing and curing disease by manipulating gene expression within a patient's cells.

5 Feb 2026

ER-Phagy: A Novel Target for Age-Related Diseases

Improvements in public health have allowed humankind to survive to older ages than ever before, but, for many people, these added golden years are not spent in good health.

4 Feb 2026

Sugar Molecules Point to a New Weapon Against Drug-Resistant Bacteria

Australian researchers have developed a powerful new way to target deadly, drug-resistant bacteria by designing antibodies that recognize a sugar found only on bacterial cells – an advance that could underpin a new generation of immunotherapies for multidrug resistant hospital-acquired infections.

4 Feb 2026

Unusual DNA Structure i-DNA Linked to Cancer Regulation

DNA's iconic double helix does more than "just" store genetic information. Under certain conditions it can temporarily fold into unusual shapes.

3 Feb 2026

New Research Reveals RFC's Dynamic Partnership in DNA Synthesis

Every time a cell divides, it must copy its entire genome so that each daughter cell inherits a complete set of DNA. During that process, enzymes known as polymerases race along the DNA to copy its code and build new strands.

2 Feb 2026

How DNA Leakage into the Cytoplasm Drives Ruijs-Aalfs Syndrome

Although DNA is tightly packed and safeguarded within the cell nucleus, it remains continually at risk of damage from normal metabolic activity and external stressors such as radiation and chemical agents.

2 Feb 2026

Cryo-EM Uncovers Alarmone-Driven RNA Transcription Initiation

Scientists at IOCB Prague are uncovering new details of gene transcription. They have identified a previously unknown molecular mechanism by which the transcription of genetic information from deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) into ribonucleic acid (RNA) can be initiated.

31 Jan 2026

Cellular Garbage Collector Shields Neurons From Alzheimer’s Damage

Researchers at UC San Francisco have identified a hazardous waste collector in the brain that disposes of the toxic clumps of tau protein that can lead to dementia.

29 Jan 2026