Biochemistry

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Synthetic Biology and Metabolic Engineering Drive Microbial L-Tryptophan Biomanufacturing

This review synthesizes progress in pathway optimization, regulatory rewiring, and microbial cell factory design that has driven L-Trp titers to industrially relevant levels while enabling the biosynthesis of downstream products ranging from neurotransmitters and plant hormones to dyes and complex alkaloids.

8 Jan 2026

USU Researchers Discover CRISPR Cas12a3's Potential for Viral Protein Inhibition

Across all domains of life, immune defenses foil invading viruses by making it impossible for the viruses to replicate. Most known CRISPR systems target invading pathogens' DNA and chop it up to disable and modify genes, heading off infections at the (cellular) pass.

8 Jan 2026

Loss of Vitamin C Synthesis Protects Animals From Schistosomiasis

Researchers at the Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern (CRI) have found an advantage to vitamin C deficiency: defense against a significant parasitic disease.

31 Dec 2025

Fungal Detoxification Pathway Enables Infestation of Bark Beetle Pests

Spruce bark is rich in phenolic compounds that protect trees from pathogenic fungi. A research team at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena investigated how these plant defenses function within the food web, particularly in spruce bark beetles (Ips typographus), which ingest the compounds through their diet. Could the beetles use substances from the spruce's defenses to protect themselves against pathogenic fungi?

30 Dec 2025

Mitochondrial Protein That “Erases” Huntington’s Aggregates

DGIST has made a groundbreaking announcement: a research team, under the guidance of professors Jiwon Um and Jaewon Ko, has achieved a global first by elucidating the function of ‘ClpB.’

29 Dec 2025

Researchers Find Enzyme That Controls Fat Production, Offering New Drug Target

Obesity is a global epidemic and a major cause of morbidity and mortality because it increases the risk for comorbidities, including heart disease and fatty liver disease (MASLD). Rates of these disorders have risen as the world increasingly adopts energy-dense diets and sedentary lifestyles.

24 Dec 2025

Kinetic Traps Explain Differences in GPCR Drug Efficacy

G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) are proteins triggered by ligands (protein-binding chemicals) from outside cells to transmit signals inside the cell.

23 Dec 2025

New vCATCH Method Maps Drug Binding Across Every Cell in the Body

When you take a drug, where in your body does it actually go? For most medications, scientists can make only educated guesses about the answer to this question.

23 Dec 2025

Condensates Introduce a New Paradigm in Cellular Bioelectricity

Many biological processes are regulated by electricity-from nerve impulses to heartbeats to the movement of molecules in and out of cells.

19 Dec 2025

New Method Enables Direct Freezing of iPS Cells in Culture Dishes

With a Kobe University-developed procedure, induced pluripotent stem cells can now be frozen directly in their dishes without losing their viability or undifferentiated state after thawing.

19 Dec 2025

Understanding the Collaborative Role of Metabolic Proteins

A protein that is crucial for the human body in managing energy and regulating appetite depends on a partner protein, as indicated by recent research, and these findings may assist researchers in gaining a deeper understanding of genetic obesity.

17 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

Scientists Discover First Human DNA-Cutting Enzyme That Responds to Tension

An international research team at the University of Hong Kong has discovered a human protein known as ANKLE1, which is recognized as the first DNA-cutting enzyme (nuclease) in mammals that can detect and respond to physical tension in DNA.

10 Dec 2025

Broken DNA Loops Trigger Lymphoma Development

Cancer involves more than just genetic mutations; it also involves structural failures. Consider a city where roads disappear, isolating communities from vital resources.

8 Dec 2025

Study Identifies Adipogenin as Crucial Driver of Lipid Droplet Formation

A microprotein called adipogenin appears to play a key role in helping fat cells store lipid droplets – a phenomenon that's pivotal for metabolic health, a study co-led by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers shows.

27 Nov 2025

Researchers Uncover How Methamphetamine Suppresses Dopamine Clearance

Dopamine brings on a surge of pleasure, but too much dopamine in a synapse can ultimately lead to mood disorders and addiction.

26 Nov 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

Ultrasound-Controlled Mechanochemical Systems Offer Precision Drug Activation

Conventional drug delivery often relies on passive diffusion or chemical triggers, which may lead to systemic exposure, toxicity, and decreased therapeutic performance.

20 Nov 2025

Transcription Factor SmMYB53 Drives Enhanced Tanshinone Synthesis in Salvia miltiorrhiza

Salvia miltiorrhiza has long been used in traditional medicine, with tanshinones being its main active compounds.

19 Nov 2025

Cellarity's AI Model Predicts Drug Induced Liver Injury

Cellarity, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing Cell State-Correcting therapies through integrated multi-omics and AI modeling, today announced the publication of a seminal manuscript in Nature Communications, which describes a novel framework for the prediction and characterization of drug-induced liver injury (DILI), along with open-source posting of the model and validation data.

14 Nov 2025