Biochemistry

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Researchers Discover Key Genes for Plant Stress Tolerance

New research identifies for the first time the genes that help plants grow under stressful conditions - with implications for producing more sustainable food crops in the face of global climate change.

10 Oct 2024

A Novel Approach to Detecting Adulteration in Ginseng Supplements

Rosalee Hellberg, an associate professor in Chapman University's Food Science Program, and her research team have made a significant breakthrough in the fight against adulteration in dietary supplements. Effective methods for identifying adulteration and fraud have remained elusive. Now, a new study of 50 commercially available ginseng products has found surprising results.

9 Oct 2024

Study Unravels the Mystery of Hsp70 Chaperones

Proteins control most of the body's functions, and their malfunction can have severe consequences, such as neurodegenerative diseases or cancer. Therefore, cells have mechanisms in place to control protein quality.

9 Oct 2024

Unveiling the Enzymatic Riches of Spider Venoms

Spiders, as venomous creatures, employ their chemical arsenal for prey acquisition or self-defense. Their venom contains small neurotoxins that target the central nervous system of their targets.

8 Oct 2024

The Promise of Venomous Crustaceans in Drug Development

Many animals use venoms for self-defense or hunting. The components of such venom, known as toxins, interfere with various physiological processes - which is also the reason why they are so interesting for the development of new pharmacological agents.

7 Oct 2024

New Approaches to Treating Circadian Rhythm Disorders

Researchers from the University of California and Duke-NUS Medical School have figured out how to control the human body's internal clock. It was discovered that this regulator is located exactly at the end of Casein Kinase 1 delta (CK1δ), a protein that sets the pace for circadian rhythm, or internal biological clock, which regulates sleep-wake cycles and other daily activities.

7 Oct 2024

Harnessing Bioluminescence for Noninvasive Brain Activation

Researchers at the University of Rochester have demonstrated a noninvasive technique called bioluminescent optogenetics, or BL-OG, that uses light to stimulate brain neurons.

4 Oct 2024

Owlstone Medical and FDA Join Forces for Volatile Organic Compound Identification

Owlstone Medical (“Owlstone”), the global leader in Breath Biopsy® for applications in early disease detection and precision medicine, today announced it has entered into a Research Collaboration Agreement with the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health (“CDRH”) - Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories (OSEL).

4 Oct 2024

"Paralog Hopping" Uncovers New Binding Sites for Cancer Drugs

Some proteins in the human body are easy to block with a drug; they have an obvious spot in their structure where a drug can fit, like a key in a lock. But other proteins are more difficult to target, with no clear drug-binding sites.

4 Oct 2024

Microbial Enzyme From Sewage Sludge Offers Hope for Plastic Waste Reduction

Plastic pollution is everywhere, and a good amount of it is composed of polyethylene terephthalate. This polymer is used to make bottles, containers and even clothing.

4 Oct 2024

Discovering New Drug Targets Through Paralog Hopping

3 Oct 2024

blotRig Tool Transforms Western Blot Design and Statistical Analysis for Reproducibility

Improving reproducibility in Western blot experiments through rigorous design and advanced statistical analysis is crucial for accurate protein quantification.

26 Sep 2024

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