Biochemistry

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Researchers solve the mystery of how many bubbles are in a glass of beer

After pouring beer into a glass, streams of little bubbles appear and start to rise, forming a foamy head. As the bubbles burst, the released carbon dioxide gas imparts the beverage's desirable tang.

22 Apr 2021

New enzyme-activated compostable plastic could diminish microplastics pollution

Despite our efforts to sort and recycle, less than 9% of plastic gets recycled in the U.S., and most ends up in landfill or the environment.

22 Apr 2021

Scientists identify the odorants responsible for off-flavor-tainted cocoa

Musty, moldy, smoky or horse dung-like smelling cocoa is not suitable for chocolate production. As part of a larger research project, a team of scientists led by Martin Steinhaus from the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich has identified the odorants responsible for such off-flavors.

21 Apr 2021

Study: Interaction between distant parts of RNA can regulate gene expression

Russian researchers have now investigated the role of double-stranded fragments of the maturing RNA and demonstrated that the interaction between faraway parts of the RNA can control gene expression.

20 Apr 2021

Chemical biomarker levels reflect varying severity of COVID-19 symptoms

Varying severity of COVID-19 symptoms in patients is reflected by levels of a chemical biomarker in their body which scientists say could be used to better manage treatments and other interventions, including vaccinations.

20 Apr 2021

New method to measure the growth rate of disease-causing amyloid fibrils

Amyloid fibrils are deposits of proteins in the body that join together to form microscopic fibres. Their formation has been linked to many serious human diseases including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Type 2 diabetes.

From University of Bath 16 Apr 2021

Tropical forests can capture CO2 into soils and reduce its emission

According to a new study, tropical forests exhibit the ability to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) into soils and thus decrease the amount of CO2 that is emitted.

15 Apr 2021

Scientists engineer probiotic yeast to produce beta-carotene in the guts of mice

Researchers have genetically engineered a probiotic yeast to produce beta-carotene in the guts of laboratory mice. The advance demonstrates the utility of work the researchers have done to detail how a suite of genetic engineering tools can be used to modify the yeast.

13 Apr 2021

POSTECH researchers bioengineer a novel drug-delivering adhesive patch platform

Blood vessels deliver nutrients and oxygen to each organ in our body. They are difficult to completely restore to their original conditions once damaged by myocardial infarction or severe ischemic diseases. This is because various angiogenic growth factors must be applied sequentially in order to restore the vascular structure.

13 Apr 2021

Study compares effect of vaping and smoking on cells and DNA

Researchers have compared vape e-liquid samples and their aerosols to combustible cigarette smoke using Toxys’ ToxTracker range of in-vitro assays.

12 Apr 2021

Study shows how nitrate presence controls nodule formation in legumes

Legumes, or plants belonging to the bean family, form nodules on their roots to absorb nitrogen.

12 Apr 2021

New method can improve the drug testing process

When developing a new drug, the first question is, “does it work?” and the second question is, “is it harmful?”

9 Apr 2021

Study explains molecular mechanisms of drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

A group of researchers from France, Germany, Belarus, Japan, and Russia and headed by a scientist from Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech) has discovered how Mycobacterium tuberculosis survives in iron-deficient environments by using rubredoxin B (RubB)—a protein that belongs to the rubredoxin family and plays a significant role in adapting to varying environmental conditions.

9 Apr 2021

Inhibiting a specific protein could increase tumor sensitivity to PARP inhibitors

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute have found that blocking a specific protein could increase tumor sensitivity to treatment with PARP inhibitors. Their work published in Science , suggests combining treatments could lead to improved therapy for patients with inheritable breast cancers.

9 Apr 2021

Researchers discover new species of bumblebee through genome sequencing

Scientists have discovered a new species of bumblebees while investigating genetic diversity in bumblebees in the Rocky Mountains, United States.

8 Apr 2021

Study finds an amyloid link between melanoma and Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder and melanoma is a type of skin cancer but on the surface, these disorders do not seem to have much in common.

8 Apr 2021

PNA-based method is a key component of the gene editing toolkit

The Somatic Cell Gene Editing Consortium has given an update on the status of their initiative to design safer techniques to edit the genes of disease-relevant somatic cells.

8 Apr 2021

Researchers discover natural brilliant blue food coloring from red cabbage

A natural brilliant blue coloring has been discovered by an international team of researchers including chemists at the University of California, Davis. The new cyan blue, obtained from red cabbage, could be an alternative to synthetic blue food colorings such as the widely used FD&C Blue No. 1.

From The University of California, Davis 8 Apr 2021

Warped immune cell signaling during bile acid exposure may lead to Crohn’s disease

People with Crohn's disease are typically treated with powerful anti-inflammatory medications that act throughout their body, not just in their digestive tract, creating the potential for unintended, and often serious, side effects.

8 Apr 2021

Researchers upend the models of cancer metabolism

Tumors consume glucose at high rates, but a team of Vanderbilt researchers has discovered that cancer cells themselves are not the culprit, upending models of cancer metabolism that have been developed and refined over the last 100 years.

From Vanderbilt University 8 Apr 2021