Biochemistry

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Harvard neurobiologists provide new insights into the mystery of scent

The premiere of the movie Scent of Mystery in 1960 marked a singular event in the annals of cinema: the first, and last, motion picture debut "in glorious Smell-O-Vision."

3 Jul 2020

Plant tissue succulence engineering can be used to improve drought and salinity tolerance

After several years of experimentation, scientists have engineered thale cress, or Arabidopsis thaliana, to behave like a succulent, improving water-use efficiency, salinity tolerance and reducing the effects of drought.

3 Jul 2020

Global warming will cause freshwaters to release more methane than predicted

New research suggests that as the Earth warms natural ecosystems such as freshwaters will release more methane than expected from predictions based on temperature increases alone.

3 Jul 2020

COVID-19 makes platelets 'hyperactive' and more prone to form deadly blood clots

Changes in blood platelets triggered by COVID-19 could contribute to the onset of heart attacks, strokes, and other serious complications in some patients who have the disease, according to University of Utah Health scientists.

2 Jul 2020

Scientists develop new experimental approach to study molecular interactions

When two cars collide at an intersection -- from opposite directions -- the impact is much different than when two cars -- traveling in the same direction -- "bump" into each other.

2 Jul 2020

Discovery of new step in brain cell mechanism could lead to new treatments for epilepsy

Researchers have identified a critical new step in how brain cells function in people with one of the most common forms of epilepsy.

2 Jul 2020

Study reveals malaria's secret to surviving in the blood stream

New research from the Francis Crick Institute has found how the malaria parasite protects itself from toxic compounds in red blood cells.

2 Jul 2020

UTEP researchers discover new target for tuberculosis drug development

Biology students and faculty members from The University of Texas at El Paso have discovered a new target for tuberculosis drug development.

1 Jul 2020

Engineered T-cells attack solid-tumor cancer cells from humans and mice

A method known as CAR-T therapy has been used successfully in patients with blood cancers such as lymphoma and leukemia.

1 Jul 2020

Novel vaccine targeting senescent cells mitigates metabolic disorders in obese mice

Aging is a multifaceted process that affects our bodies in many ways. In a new study, researchers from Osaka University developed a novel vaccine that removes aged immune cells and then demonstrated an improvement of diabetes-associated metabolic derangements by vaccinating obese mice.

From Osaka University 1 Jul 2020

Chiral ligands can help develop novel drugs and bioactive compounds

Numerous therapeutic compounds—such as amino acids, enzymes, and proteins— that are currently available in the market are “chiral compounds.”

1 Jul 2020

Researchers identify osmotic stress as stimulator of cellular waste disposal

Cellular waste disposal, where autophagy and lysosomes interact, performs elementary functions, such as degrading damaged protein molecules, which impair cellular function, and reintroducing the resulting building blocks such as amino acids into the metabolic system.

29 Jun 2020

Chemically engineered peptides show promise to block viruses

Scientists from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have designed and developed chemically engineered peptides that may prove useful to fight some of the most prevalent human health challenges.

29 Jun 2020

Study may help design effective treatments for Alzheimer’s disease

Neurons in the brains of such people are being depleted gradually and inevitably, resulting in the characteristic loss of cognitive function and memory.

29 Jun 2020

Pseudotargeted metabolomics method can help analyze bile and amino acids

A team of researchers has come up with a procedure through which the pseudotargeted metabolomics technique can be systematically summarized and upgraded.

29 Jun 2020

Scientists construct a model to explain why plants are green

When sunlight shining on a leaf changes rapidly, plants must protect themselves from the ensuing sudden surges of solar energy.

26 Jun 2020

New method to synthesize cancer-fighting phytochemicals

Phytoalexins have attracted a great deal of interest because of their major role in plant health and their health-promoting effects in humans.

26 Jun 2020

Scientists study how cancer cells in the liver react to magnetic nanoparticles

Scientists from the Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University and National University of Science and Technology "MISiS" have studied how magnet nanoparticles affect cancer cells in the human liver.

26 Jun 2020

Foodborne titanium dioxide nanoparticles impact gut microbiota in mice

A common food additive, recently banned in France but allowed in the U.S. and many other countries, was found to significantly alter gut microbiota in mice, causing inflammation in the colon and changes in protein expression in the liver, according to research led by a University of Massachusetts Amherst food scientist.

26 Jun 2020

New approach spurs production of antibiotic or antiparasitic compounds in bacteria

Researchers have developed a method to spur the production of new antibiotic or antiparasitic compounds hiding in the genomes of actinobacteria, which are the source of drugs such as actinomycin and streptomycin and are known to harbor other untapped chemical riches.

26 Jun 2020