Biochemistry

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Novel method quantifies the total polysulfide content in fresh vegetables

Sulfur-rich foods, like onions and garlic, have long been recognized to have health-promoting properties. It has been difficult to investigate how food containing sulfur compounds enhances health because the levels—and types—of reactive polysulfides found in various vegetables have not been adequately assessed.

14 Mar 2023

Bile salt hydrolase cocktails may offer a new approach to inhibit C. diff colonization

Not all probiotics are created equal. In a new study, researchers found that certain enzymes within a class known as bile salt hydrolases (BSHs) can restrict Clostridioides difficile (C. diff.) colonization by both altering existing bile acids and by creating a new class of bile acids within the gut's microbial environment.

14 Mar 2023

Novel model tracks hippocampal synaptic plasticity to reveal molecular mechanisms

The accumulation of amyloid beta proteins, which encourage synaptic malfunction, causes cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), according to scientific evidence.

10 Mar 2023

Olive oil by-products could have antioxidant benefits

New research has found that a natural by-product of olive oil production could potentially have antioxidant benefits and support exercise.

10 Mar 2023

Scientists shed new light on aging processes in the brain

Scientists from the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute (TBSI) have shed new light on aging processes in the brain.

9 Mar 2023

Understanding gas transfer between the atmosphere and ocean can lead to better climate models

The injection of bubbles from waves breaking in turbulent and cold high-latitude regions of the high seas is an underappreciated way in which atmospheric gases are transported into the interior ocean.

8 Mar 2023

Liver-produced hormone protects mice against the harmful effects of intoxication

A shot of a liver-produced hormone called FGF21 sobered up mice that had passed out from alcohol, allowing them to regain consciousness and coordination much faster than those that didn't receive this treatment, UT Southwestern researchers report in a new study.

8 Mar 2023

Using nanoparticles to carry drugs across the blood-brain barrier

Brain tumors are notoriously hard to treat. One reason is the challenge posed by the blood-brain barrier, a network of blood vessels and tissue with closely spaced cells.

3 Mar 2023

Innovative method to quickly identify bacteria in fluids

Shine a laser on a drop of blood, mucus, or wastewater, and the light reflecting back can be used to positively identify bacteria in the sample.

3 Mar 2023

Applying crocodile’s unique pH sensing mechanism to benefit humans

Researchers from La Trobe University have just discovered how crocodiles, despite living in dirty water, prevent deadly fungal infections by employing a unique pH sensing mechanism.

3 Mar 2023

Novel framework provides solutions to evade detoxification networks

Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have demonstrated how drug makers can avoid two key problems: toxicity and resistance. The researchers made slight changes to a small molecule to reduce its metabolism and elimination by the cellular detoxification network regulated by the pregnane X receptor (PXR). This research provides a framework to develop solutions to the long-standing issue of how to evade detoxification networks using medicinal chemistry. The findings were published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

1 Mar 2023

Study shows how pesticides render certain strawberries bland

Have you ever bitten into a plump, red strawberry, only to find it bland and watery? Certain pesticides might be responsible. A team reporting in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry has found that two common strawberry fungicides can impact cellular mechanisms, creating berries with subdued flavor and sweetness, as well as a lower nutritional value.

28 Feb 2023

Study reveals why the FMO5 gene produces an enzyme with a different activity

Our body produces lots of enzymes that break down toxic substances. One class of such enzymes are the flavin-containing monooxygenases (FMOs), which are present in all tetrapods. Humans have five different FMO genes, of which the first four display the same activity. However, the fifth FMO gene triggers a different breakdown reaction. University of Groningen biochemists have succeeded in resurrecting the ancestral genes of all tetrapod FMOs to show how this divergence has occurred. Their results appear on 24 February in Nature Communications.

28 Feb 2023

Artificial BBB model can help determine how well antibody-based therapies can enter the brain

A research group at Uppsala University has developed a simple and effective artificial blood-brain barrier model that can be used to determine how well antibody-based therapies can enter the brain.

27 Feb 2023

Synthetic hydrogels provide an effective scaffold for brain tissue growth

Synthetic hydrogels were shown to provide an effective scaffold for neuronal tissue growth in areas of brain damage, providing a possible approach for brain tissue reconstruction.

24 Feb 2023

Prototype treatment shows great potential in neutralizing snake toxins from multiple species

Prototype treatment for snake bite envenoming proves effective against the venom of African and Asian elapid snakes, such as some cobra, mamba, and krait species, new research shows.

24 Feb 2023

Artificial intelligence creates proteins to hasten chemical reactions

Scientists have for the first time utilized machine learning to design whole new enzymes, which are proteins that quicken chemical reactions. In the realm of protein design, this is a crucial development since new enzymes can find several applications in both industrial manufacture and medicine.

23 Feb 2023

Study illuminates how lung cells protect themselves against RNA viral infection

A new University of California, Irvine-led study uncovers how a protein, APOBEC3B, could protect cells against many different types of RNA viruses like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), SARS-CoV2, influenza virus, poliovirus and measles, helping to prevent disease.

23 Feb 2023

New puzzle challenge taps into the intelligence of Eterna’s users to advance RNA therapeutics

Researchers at UC Santa Cruz working to develop novel RNA-based medicines are teaming up with a new group of collaborators-;players of the online game Eterna.

22 Feb 2023

New approach uses light to transform lignin into sustainable plastics

Lignin is arguably the most abundant component of biomass that most people have never heard of. That may be about to change.

22 Feb 2023

Biochemistry

Novel method quantifies the total polysulfide content in fresh vegetables

Bile salt hydrolase cocktails may offer a new approach to inhibit C. diff colonization

Novel model tracks hippocampal synaptic plasticity to reveal molecular mechanisms

Olive oil by-products could have antioxidant benefits

Scientists shed new light on aging processes in the brain

Understanding gas transfer between the atmosphere and ocean can lead to better climate models

Liver-produced hormone protects mice against the harmful effects of intoxication

Using nanoparticles to carry drugs across the blood-brain barrier

Innovative method to quickly identify bacteria in fluids

Applying crocodile’s unique pH sensing mechanism to benefit humans

Novel framework provides solutions to evade detoxification networks

Study shows how pesticides render certain strawberries bland

Study reveals why the FMO5 gene produces an enzyme with a different activity

Artificial BBB model can help determine how well antibody-based therapies can enter the brain

Synthetic hydrogels provide an effective scaffold for brain tissue growth

Prototype treatment shows great potential in neutralizing snake toxins from multiple species

Artificial intelligence creates proteins to hasten chemical reactions

Study illuminates how lung cells protect themselves against RNA viral infection

New puzzle challenge taps into the intelligence of Eterna’s users to advance RNA therapeutics

New approach uses light to transform lignin into sustainable plastics

Driving Support for Pharmaceutical Testing Through Continuous Innovation

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