Biochemistry

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Study employs llama nanobodies to hunt human cytomegalovirus

Researchers created a “nanobody”, a small fragment of a llama antibody, that can evade human cytomegalovirus as it hides away from the immune system.

26 Jul 2021

Already characterized active substances exhibit unexpected effects

Every innovative drug starts with the search for an active substance targeting key players in disease-related processes.

23 Jul 2021

New insights on an enzyme complex involved in plaque production

A research team led by Wim Annaert (VIB-KU Leuven) uncovered the early assembly of gamma-secretase, a protein complex linked to numerous cellular processes including the development of Alzheimer's disease.

23 Jul 2021

Natto, a Japanese fermented soybean dish, may hold the key to COVID-19 treatment

Natto is a fermented soybean dish usually served by the Japanese for breakfast. Although it actually originated at the turn of the last millennium, it could be the key to a modern problem—COVID-19—reports a new cell-culture-based study.

23 Jul 2021

Research identifies vitamin C as a key ingredient for immune cell function

A new study has now identified that it is not possible to generate stable regulatory T cells without Vitamin C or enzymes called TET proteins as much as how one cannot make a banana split without bananas.

23 Jul 2021

New study uncovers how enterococcal cytolysins affect cells

Although Enterococcus faecalis is usually an innocuous member of the bacterial community in the human gut, it can also cause several infections, including liver disorders. The bacteria produce cytolysins, which are molecules that destroy cells. In a new study, researchers have uncovered how they do so.

22 Jul 2021

Toward an antiviral drug that works against all coronaviruses

Safe and effective vaccines offer hope for an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the possible emergence of vaccine-resistant SARS-CoV-2 variants, as well as novel coronaviruses, make finding treatments that work against all coronaviruses as important as ever.

22 Jul 2021

New test to detect substances that are harmful to the placenta and embryo

Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a cell culture test to detect substances that are directly or indirectly harmful to embryos. Based on an existing test used for developing new drugs and chemicals, the augmented version is designed to help reduce the number of animal experiments.

22 Jul 2021

Enzymatic PET recycling has sizeable energy and carbon-saving benefits

Researchers in the BOTTLE Consortium, including from the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the University of Portsmouth, have identified using enzymes as a more sustainable approach for recycling polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a common plastic in single-use beverage bottles, clothing, and food packaging that are becoming increasingly relevant in addressing the environmental challenge of plastic pollution.

21 Jul 2021

Amateur tasters could differentiate among the barley breeding lines in beer

When it comes to craft beer, the flavor doesn't have to be all in the hops. As a panel of amateur beer tasters at Washington State University recently demonstrated, malted barley, the number one ingredient in beer besides water, can have a range of desirable flavors too.

21 Jul 2021

DRI study receives $1.5M grant to investigate the formation of harmful compounds by e-cigarettes

Scientists with the Desert Research Institute Organic Analytical Laboratory in Reno, Nev., led by Andrey Khlystov, Ph.D., have been awarded a $1.5M grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study the formation of dangerous compounds by electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes).

21 Jul 2021

Persister bacteria manipulate intracellular pH for surviving antibiotic treatment

Decreasing bacterial acidity could help reduce antimicrobial resistance by eliminating bacteria that can survive being treated with antibiotics.

From University of Exeter 21 Jul 2021

Study finds no evidence that caffeine consumption leads to greater risk of arrhythmias

In the largest study of its kind, an investigation by UC San Francisco has found no evidence that moderate coffee consumption can cause cardiac arrhythmia.

21 Jul 2021

Study shows how single cells take up fatty acids, offering new insights into cancer biology

Researchers have developed a new method that offers novel insights into cancer biology by enabling them to unravel how single cells absorb fatty acids.

21 Jul 2021

Study shows how to unlock CRISPR’s potential to regulate many genes simultaneously

A new technique to regulate several genes in engineered yeast cells could pave the way for the highly efficient, sustainable production of bio-based products.

19 Jul 2021

Pest attacks trigger defensive electrical and biochemical responses across tomato plants

A recent study in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems shows that the fruits of a type of tomato plant send electrical signals to the rest of the plant when they are infested by caterpillars.

19 Jul 2021

Illinois scientists make it easier for farmers to choose plant biostimulants

Corn growers can choose from a wide array of products to make the most of their crop, but the latest could bring seaweed extract to a field near you. The marine product is just one class in a growing market of crop biostimulants marketed for corn.

16 Jul 2021

Study discloses neuroprotective properties of aromatic turmerone and its derivatives

Scientists discovered that aromatic turmerone and its derivatives have a direct effect on the dopaminergic nerves.

16 Jul 2021

$Microcrystal electron diffraction could help obtain potential pharmaceutical structures$

Microcrystal electron diffraction could help obtain potential pharmaceutical structures

In the process of drug development, solving structures of potential therapeutics with X-ray diffraction (XRD) has been a presumed, critical step so far.

16 Jul 2021

New method to produce urea in a more sustainable, energy-efficient way

Urea is a critical element found in everything from fertilizers to skin care products. Large-scale production of urea, which is naturally a product of human urine, is a massive undertaking, making up about 2% of global energy use and emissions today.

15 Jul 2021

Biochemistry

Study employs llama nanobodies to hunt human cytomegalovirus

Already characterized active substances exhibit unexpected effects

New insights on an enzyme complex involved in plaque production

Natto, a Japanese fermented soybean dish, may hold the key to COVID-19 treatment

Research identifies vitamin C as a key ingredient for immune cell function

New study uncovers how enterococcal cytolysins affect cells

Toward an antiviral drug that works against all coronaviruses

New test to detect substances that are harmful to the placenta and embryo

Enzymatic PET recycling has sizeable energy and carbon-saving benefits

Amateur tasters could differentiate among the barley breeding lines in beer

DRI study receives $1.5M grant to investigate the formation of harmful compounds by e-cigarettes

Persister bacteria manipulate intracellular pH for surviving antibiotic treatment

Study finds no evidence that caffeine consumption leads to greater risk of arrhythmias

Study shows how single cells take up fatty acids, offering new insights into cancer biology

Study shows how to unlock CRISPR’s potential to regulate many genes simultaneously

Pest attacks trigger defensive electrical and biochemical responses across tomato plants

Illinois scientists make it easier for farmers to choose plant biostimulants

Study discloses neuroprotective properties of aromatic turmerone and its derivatives

Microcrystal electron diffraction could help obtain potential pharmaceutical structures

New method to produce urea in a more sustainable, energy-efficient way

Driving Support for Pharmaceutical Testing Through Continuous Innovation

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