Metabolites News and Research

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Engineered E. coli Produces Key Plant Compound at Record Levels

Researchers engineered E. coli to produce orsellinic acid-derived meroterpenoids, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional plant extraction methods.

25 Feb 2026

Human 3D Model Shows How the Gut Drives Neurodegeneration

Research on a 3D microfluidic model highlights gut-brain interactions, offering new insights into inflammatory processes linked to neurodegenerative diseases.

18 Feb 2026

Tool Enables Accurate Detection of Microbes in Cancer Genomes

When scientists sequence tumor DNA, they typically find small amounts of genetic code from bacteria, viruses and fungi – microorganisms that, if actually present in tumor tissues, could influence how they grow, evade immunity or respond to treatment.

10 Feb 2026

Gut Microbial Metabolite Hippuric Acid Amplifies Immune Responses

Scientists at The Wistar Institute have identified a previously overlooked mediator in the body's response to life-threatening infections: hippuric acid, a metabolite produced when gut bacteria break down polyphenols from berries, tea, and other plant-based foods.

31 Jan 2026

Using a Powerful Technology to Track Body's Most Elusive Proteins

What can a single molecule in just one of the body's cells reveal about a person's health? Quite a lot if you can find it. Cedars-Sinai investigators are doing just that.

28 Jan 2026

Blocking Retinoic Acid Pathway Improves Dendritic Cell Anti-Tumor Function

Scientists at the Princeton University Branch of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research have identified novel mechanisms by which a metabolic derivative of vitamin A-all-trans retinoic acid-compromises both the body's normal anti-cancer immune response and, in a different context, the efficacy of a promising type of cancer vaccine.

6 Jan 2026

Machine Learning Models Identify Early Metabolic Shifts

Acute systemic inflammation has long been suspected to trigger harmful processes within the brain, contributing to neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. A new study published online in the Journal of Proteome Research on November 30, 2025, led by Professor Kei Zaitsu from the Faculty of Biology-Oriented Science and Technology, Kindai University, Japan, now provides compelling evidence that such inflammation causes region-specific metabolic disruption, identifying biochemical pathways that fail during the early stages of neuroinflammation.

22 Dec 2025

Theobromine in Dark Chocolate may Slow Biological Aging

A chemical found in dark chocolate could slow the rate of biological aging.

11 Dec 2025

Nearly 1/3 of Pesticides and Industrial Chemicals Harm Gut Bacteria

A study reveals that common pesticides and industrial chemicals inhibit gut bacteria, highlighting risks to health and the need for revised safety assessments.

5 Dec 2025

Engineered Gut Bacteria With MiRNA Nanoparticles To Reverse IBD

Biomimetic nanoparticles delivering microRNA to gut bacteria enhance protective metabolites, repair intestinal barriers, and alleviate colitis symptoms.

3 Dec 2025

Ambiguous Stop Codons Expand the Genetic Code in Archaea

The beauty of the DNA code is that organisms interpret it unambiguously. Each three-letter nucleotide sequence, or codon, in a gene codes for a unique amino acid that's added to a chain of amino acids to make a protein.

2 Dec 2025

Bacteriophages Facilitate the Survival of Lactic Acid Bacteria in Kimchi Fermentation

The World Institute of Kimchi (President: Hae Choon Chang), a government-funded research institute under the Ministry of Science and ICT, has confirmed in a new study that bacteriophages, which were previously considered a 'nuisance' during the process of food fermentation, actually play the role of key helpers that facilitate the survival of lactic acid bacteria (LAB).

21 Nov 2025