Biochemistry

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Study Maps Molecular Arrangement of Powerful Ice-Growing Bacteria on Non-Organic Surfaces

Bacteria from the Middle East have caused precipitation all the way out in California. The same bacteria, which are known to attack plants, have also been found embedded within lumps of hail in West Africa.

20 May 2026

Scientists Design Decoy Peptides to Prevent Chronic Overactivation of Immune Cells

Calcium is widely known for its role in maintaining strong bones and teeth, but it is also one of the body's most important cellular messengers.

19 May 2026

Novel Formicitoxins Found in Carpenter Ant Venom Offer Drug Discovery Impetus

The venom of forest ants and horse ants contains numerous substances that protect the insects from pathogens. Researchers at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and Freie Universität Berlin have succeeded for the first time in identifying and characterizing these novel antimicrobial substances in the insects' venom.

19 May 2026

Can Everyday Supplements Lead to Failed Anti-Doping Tests?

Researchers developed a high-throughput LC-MS/MS platform that screened 331 pharmacologically active compounds and quantitatively validated 214 analytes across representative food matrices. Applied to 78 commercial foods and supplements, the framework showed that some products could produce modeled urinary concentrations exceeding WADA reporting thresholds under realistic intake scenarios.

19 May 2026

Daily Grapes Intake Improves Skin Health Through Changes in Gene Expression

Clinical trials have shown that consumption of grapes can increase the resilience of skin to UV irradiation in about 30-50% of the subject population.

15 May 2026

Epigenetic Engineering Boosts Stable Production of Safe Monascus Pigments

This study was led by Professor Yi Wang and Professor Weiming Zhu from the School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China.

15 May 2026

Web-Based Platform Facilitates Chemical Structure Queries in Metabolomics

An international team led by researchers at University of California San Diego and University of California, Riverside has developed a free, web‑based platform designed to make public metabolomics data more accessible.

15 May 2026

Supercomputer Simulations Map Sodium Pumping in Pathogenic Bacteria

The Na+-NQR enzyme is vital for energy production in pathogenic bacteria like the one that causes cholera, making it a highly promising target for new antibiotics.

15 May 2026

Scientists Discover How DNA Damage Modulates the Tumor Microenvironment for Therapy

Researchers have identified a pathway that triggers an immune response in cells with defective DNA repair.

14 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

Advanced Molecular Blueprints Guide Development Of Next-Generation Malaria Drugs

Researchers from the Universities of Bath and Leeds (UK) have made a significant advance in the fight against malaria by uncovering a promising new potential target for drug discovery.

7 May 2026

Tardigrade Proteins Allow Synthetic Cells to Survive Extreme Dehydration

A protein found only in microscopic tardigrades, one that allows them to survive extreme conditions like dehydration, can convey similar durability in synthetic cells, according to new research from University of Michigan Engineering and the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering.

7 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

Accelerating Enzyme Discovery With the SMART Single-Molecule Screening System

Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions in living organisms. They are widely applied in industries such as food production, detergents, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals.

30 Apr 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

New DNA Tests Expose Spice Fraud Across Popular Herbs and Spices

Researchers interlaboratory-validated 13 DNA-based qPCR methods to quantify selected plant adulterants in paprika/chilli, saffron, turmeric, cumin, oregano, and black pepper. The methods showed strong repeatability, reproducibility, and trueness, supporting their use as confirmatory tools in official spice authenticity testing.

28 Apr 2026

New Study Uncovers Previously Undetected Form of DNA Damage

In everyday life, our genetic material is constantly under attack from many factors. Environmental influences such as light, along with internal processes like inflammation, can generate oxidative stress that damages DNA and its downstream partner, RNA, which can lead to faster aging and diseases such as cancer.

24 Apr 2026

Uncovering a Second Pathway for On-Demand Glycogen Regulation

Researchers at WEHI have uncovered a never-before-seen mechanism that human bodies utilize to control sugar. These discoveries redefine basic biological principles and pave the way for new scientific discoveries.

24 Apr 2026

Study Reveals the "Black Box" of Protein Quality Control in the ER

Over the past few years, Kivanç Birsoy of Rockefeller University and his colleagues in the Laboratory of Metabolic Regulation and Genetics have uncovered amazing information about the antioxidant glutathione, which has numerous vital functions in the body, including eliminating free radicals and repairing cellular damage.

20 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