Biochemistry News and Research

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Scientists Develop EvoCAST for Efficient and Accurate Gene Insertion

Ask scientists what gene editing tool is most needed to advance gene therapy, and they'd probably describe a system that's now close to realization in the labs of Samuel Sternberg at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and David Liu at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.

16 May 2025

Unlocking the Molecular Secrets of Sweet Taste Perception

Our enjoyment of sweets can be traced to one subset of taste receptor cells – specialized sweet-sensing cells found in our taste buds – that initiate the chain of reactions driving our strong attraction and appetite for sugar.

8 May 2025

DNA Organization Offers Clues for Advancing Stem Cell Therapy

Scientists at the University of California, Riverside, have discovered how adult stem cells retain their regenerative power. The researchers demonstrate in a paper published in the journal Genes & Development that these cells rely on a group of helper proteins called histone chaperones — organizers or guides known to help package our two-meter-long genome when cells need to divide or switch on specific genes.

22 Apr 2025

Unraveling the Mystery of Inefficient Split Inteins in Protein Splicing

Proteins serve as the fundamental components of life, composed of folded peptide chains made up of a sequence of amino acids.

11 Apr 2025

Japanese Researchers Develop New Assay to Detect Epigenetic Toxicity

Chemicals used as food preservatives, flavoring agents, dyes, pesticides, cosmetics, cleaners, and other industrial materials are being increasingly recognized as a health hazard.

11 Apr 2025

New Discovery Reveals How Cells Repair Damaged Mitochondrial DNA

Damage to the genetic material of mitochondria – the mitochondrial DNA or mtDNA for short – can lead to diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes.

7 Apr 2025

New Compound Fights Superbug Gonorrhea via Toxin-Antitoxin System

In recent years, the World Health Organization (WHO) has consistently raised alarms regarding the rise of antibiotic-resistant microbes.

3 Apr 2025

Novel Protein Analysis Technique Offers Fresh Insights into Immune System Disorders

A study conducted by researchers at Oregon Health & Science University has revealed a novel mechanism by which proteins can be modified within cells. This finding may have significant implications for the understanding of immune system functionality.

1 Apr 2025

Researchers Unearth Powerful New Antibiotic from Soil

Researchers at McMaster have made a significant discovery that may be the answer to combating antimicrobial resistance, nearly thirty years after the last time a novel class of antibiotics was brought to market.

28 Mar 2025

Unraveling the Evolutionary Link to Eukaryotic Cells

A decade ago, the existence of Asgard archaea was unknown. However, in 2015, researchers analyzing deep-sea sediments uncovered gene fragments that suggested the presence of a new, previously unidentified group of microbes.

24 Mar 2025

Researchers Identify Promising Drug Candidates for Previously “undruggable” Cancer Target

For the first time scientists have identified promising drug candidates that bind irreversibly with a notoriously “undruggable” cancer protein target, permanently blocking it.

21 Mar 2025

RNA-Based Active Agents Successfully Shield Plants from Cucumber Mosaic Virus

New RNA-based active agents reliably protect plants against the Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), the most common virus in agriculture and horticulture. They were developed by researchers at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU).

20 Mar 2025

Unveiling the Shapeshifting Mechanisms of Metamorphic Proteins

The “shapeshifters” of bacterial, animal, and human cells are metamorphic proteins. Their capacity to rapidly transition between two distinct shapes allows them to perform a variety of tasks and adjust to shifting conditions.

11 Mar 2025

Cryo-EM Reveals 3D Structure of Nipah Virus RNA Polymerase

The replication of the Nipah virus's genetic material in infected cells has been demonstrated for the first time by researchers from the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Multidisciplinary Sciences and the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG). In humans, the virus can cause fatal encephalitis.

11 Mar 2025

Cryo-ET Reveals Retrotransposon Replication Inside Cells

An arms race is occurring within human cells: Transposons, also known as jumping genes or mobile genetic elements, can replicate and reintegrate themselves into the genome, posing a threat to genomic integrity by inducing DNA rearrangements and mutations.

6 Mar 2025

Synthetic Microbiome Treatment Prevents C. difficile Infection in Mice

A synthetic microbiome therapy, tested in mice, protects against severe symptoms of a gut infection that is notoriously difficult-to-treat and potentially life threatening in humans, according to a team of researchers at Penn State.

4 Mar 2025

Unlocking the Secrets of Fertilization Inhibition

A research team headed by Yale scientists has elucidated the workings of a natural biological process that blocks the interaction between sperm and egg, thus inhibiting fertilization.

4 Mar 2025

Breakthrough Fluorescent Dye Sets New Standard for Long-Term Cellular Imaging

A research team at POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology) has successfully developed a super-photostable organic dye after two years of dedicated research-demonstrating perseverance akin to that of Marie Curie, who painstakingly extracted just 0.1 grams of radium from eight tons of ore to earn her Nobel Prize.

28 Feb 2025

Researchers Discover New Role of Mitofusin 2 in Cellular Health

Researchers from Cologne, Bochum, Padova and Angers have discovered a novel connection between mitochondrial function, protein quality control and cellular health, whose failure could be the leading cause in the currently incurable neurological disease Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT).

17 Feb 2025

Study Reveals Mechanisms Behind Bacterial Flagellar Motor Movement

When speaking of motors, most people think of those powering vehicles and human machinery. However, biological motors have existed for millions of years in microorganisms.

14 Feb 2025