Biochemistry

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Human Urine Recycling Promotes Agricultural Sustainability

Bacterial communities in soil are as resilient to human urine as synthetic fertilizers – making recycling the bodily fluid as a fertilizer for agricultural crops a viable proposition, according to a new study.

24 Sep 2024

New Method Detects Peroxymonocarbonate and Its Role in Cellular Responses

High levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere can alter not only the climate of our planet but also the functioning of our cells.

24 Sep 2024

Study Uncovers Cholesterol's Role in Membrane Structure and Function

A new study by Rice University researchers led by Jason Hafner could open new pathways for understanding how cholesterol influences cell membranes and their receptors, paving the way for future research on diseases linked to membrane organization.

24 Sep 2024

A Computational Toolkit for Large-Scale Metabolomics Analysis

A computational workflow for analyzing massive data sets in metabolomics, the study of tiny chemicals found within cells, biofluids, tissues, and entire ecosystems has been developed by a research team led by experts at the University of California, Riverside.

23 Sep 2024

Sodium Transport Found to Play a Surprising Role in Mitochondrial Energy Production

The GENOXPHOS (Functional Genetics of the Oxidative Phosphorylation System) group at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC) has discovered a crucial role of sodium in the generation of cellular energy.

20 Sep 2024

Modified Nucleotides Boost saRNA Vaccine Efficacy and Protection Against SARS-CoV-2

Modified nucleotides like m5C in saRNA enhance vaccine efficacy, stability, and reduce inflammation, offering a promising approach for SARS-CoV-2 protection.

18 Sep 2024

PKN Inhibition Reduces Cardiac Fibrosis and Improves Heart Function

The number of people suffering from heart failure is rising quickly as society ages. Heart failure progression is linked to fibrosis, or the overgrowth of fibrotic tissue in the heart.

16 Sep 2024

CRISPR-Edited Euglena Offers Improved Biofuel Feedstock for Cold Conditions

News about biofuels sometimes mentions used cooking oil as a feedstock, but if these substances contain animal fat, they can solidify in colder temperatures.

16 Sep 2024

Ribose-Water Interactions Stabilize RNA Structures

Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a biological molecule that plays an important part in organismal genetics as well as the creation and development of life.

11 Sep 2024

Revolutionizing Protein Analysis with Enhanced Mass Spectrometry

Mass spectrometry is a sophisticated technology that allows scientists to break down and identify the constituents of almost anything by measuring the mass of the microscopic particles that make it up.

11 Sep 2024

Fish Gut Bacteria May Hold the Key to New Skincare Ingredients

There are some pretty strange ingredients in cosmetics and skin care products. One example is snail mucin -; also known as snail slime -; which is used for its moisturizing and antioxidant properties.

6 Sep 2024

Rice Researchers Map Protein Interactions for Creating Functional Gas Vesicles

As far as water gear goes, floaties are not exactly high tech. But the tiny air-filled bubbles some microorganisms use as flotation devices when they compete for light on the water surface are a different story.

4 Sep 2024

Insights into Peptide Clumping Could Transform Drug Design and Material Science

Scientists from China have investigated how short peptide chains aggregate together in order to deepen our understanding of the process, which is crucial for drug stability and material development.

4 Sep 2024

Unraveling the Molecular Mechanism Behind Neocapritermes taracua's Explosive Defense

Researchers from the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, in cooperation with colleagues from the Faculty of Tropical AgriScience of the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, are unraveling the mysteries of the life of termites.

28 Aug 2024

Enzyme Therapy Shows Promise for Parkinson's Disease

A preclinical investigation conducted by Weill Cornell Medicine researchers has shown an unexpectedly important role for an enzyme called PGK1 in the synthesis of chemical energy in brain cells.

22 Aug 2024

Discovery of Efficient Glycosyltransferases for Pterocarpan Glycoside Biosynthesis

A research team has identified two highly efficient glycosyltransferases, AmGT28 and AmGT44, from Astragalus membranaceus, which convert medicarpin to medicarpin 3-O-glucoside and show a preference for pterocarpans over isoflavonoids.

13 Aug 2024

A Breakthrough in the Synthesis of Potent Bioactive Molecules

There are many chemical compounds with amazing medical capabilities found in the natural world. One famous example is penicillin, which was unintentionally found in the Penicillium mold. This discovery demonstrated the potential of natural substances in medicine and transformed the treatment of bacterial illnesses.

12 Aug 2024