https://phys.org/chemistry-news/biochemistry en-us The latest news on biochemistry An innovative project to re-purpose existing drugs for their potential as antibiotics has uncovered a highly promising candidate with a potent and unique way of killing drug resistant bacteria. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-drugs-approach-enormous-potential-rapid.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Wed, 19 Jun 2024 11:46:04 EDT news638016361 Somatostatin receptors (SSTRs) constitute a crucial family of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that play pivotal roles in regulating hormone secretion and inhibiting tumor growth. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-reveals-molecular-mechanisms-somatostatin-receptor.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Wed, 19 Jun 2024 11:29:02 EDT news638015341 Chemical sensors whose signals can be amplified by various triggers hold huge potential in multidisciplinary sciences. However, developing such systems was considered a highly challenging task, until a team of researchers from Tokyo Tech recently came up with a novel signal-amplification system that can be flexibly manipulated by a dynamic allosteric effector or a trigger. This new chemosensor system exhibited exceptional signal amplification by altering the sumanene monomer concentrations. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-amplification-chemosensors-flexibly-allosteric-trigger.html Biochemistry Polymers Wed, 19 Jun 2024 10:33:02 EDT news638011978 A biofriendly new material made from barley starch blended with fiber from sugarbeet waste—a strong material that turns into compost should it end up in nature—has been created at the University of Copenhagen. In the long term, the researchers hope that their invention can help put the brakes on plastic pollution while reducing the climate footprint of plastic production. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-biodegradable-barley-plastic.html Biochemistry Polymers Tue, 18 Jun 2024 14:37:08 EDT news637940223 If the household cleaner emits a lemon-like odor, this may be due to a nitrile called citronellyl nitrile. These versatile chemical nitrile groups are also used in the manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients, superglue and chemical-resistant gloves. The prevalent production process used so far has required a chemical reaction of certain molecules with highly toxic cyanide. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-biocatalytic-method-cyanide-nitrile-production.html Biochemistry Materials Science Tue, 18 Jun 2024 13:24:08 EDT news637935846 Cryogenic damage has long presented a significant barrier to effective organ preservation, posing challenges to advancements in transplantation and medical treatments. The formation of ice crystals during freezing can compromise cellular structures, leading to irreversible damage and organ failure. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-antifreeze-proteins.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Tue, 18 Jun 2024 04:43:31 EDT news637904605 The use of AI to streamline drug discovery is exploding. Researchers are deploying machine-learning models to help them identify molecules, among billions of options, that might have the properties they are seeking to develop new medicines. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-drug-discovery-team-algorithmic-framework.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Mon, 17 Jun 2024 15:45:05 EDT news637857901 Australian researchers, led by Monash University, have invented a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool which is poised to reshape virtual screening in early stage drug discovery and enhance scientists' ability to identify potential new medicines. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-ai-tool-rapid-effective-drug.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Mon, 17 Jun 2024 12:18:23 EDT news637845499 In a significant breakthrough in sustainable materials science, researchers have developed a plant-based leather alternative using pineapple leaf fiber (PALF) and natural rubber (NR). This eco-friendly material promises to revolutionize the leather industry with its impressive strength and sustainability. The results are published in Sustainability. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-green-leather-based-substitute-pineapple.html Biochemistry Materials Science Mon, 17 Jun 2024 10:14:53 EDT news637838091 Researchers from The University of Western Australia have developed a new technique to authenticate the origin of honey through its nectar signature. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-technique-authenticate-western-australia-honey.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Fri, 14 Jun 2024 12:32:03 EDT news637587121 A crucial step in the degradation and utilization of lignin is the process of O-demethylation of lignin monomers, facilitated by O-demethylases. Current O-demethylases face challenges such as limited substrate specificity, unclear reaction mechanisms, and a lack of reductase chaperones. Therefore, the exploration of new O-demethylases through gene mining and the improvement of existing O-demethylases through protein engineering are of great importance. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-reveal-mechanism-p450-demethylase-key.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Fri, 14 Jun 2024 11:27:02 EDT news637583221 A low vitamin B6 level has negative effects on brain performance. A research team from Würzburg University Medicine has now found a way to delay the degradation of the vitamin. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-vitamin-b6-compound-delay-degradation.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Thu, 13 Jun 2024 12:37:17 EDT news637501034 Point-of-care testing (POCT) devices show great advantages over conventional diagnostic tests in being accessible to patients and providing timely diagnostic information. The global POCT market has grown remarkably over the past few decades. Distance-based devices are attracting great interest due to their simplicity, affordability, and ease of application. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-scientists-distance-based-visual-mirna.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Thu, 13 Jun 2024 11:16:22 EDT news637496180 In the movie "Jurassic Park," scientists extracted DNA that had been preserved in amber for millions of years, and used it to create a population of long-extinct dinosaurs. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-scientists-dna-amber-polymer-method.html Biochemistry Polymers Thu, 13 Jun 2024 09:28:04 EDT news637489681 Researchers from the University of Eastern Finland (UEF) and the University of Jyväskylä (JYU) have collaborated to publish research on the antiviral capabilities of solid wood surfaces. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-reveals-antiviral-properties-solid-wood.html Biochemistry Materials Science Wed, 12 Jun 2024 12:03:03 EDT news637412581 A discovery made by scientists at King's College London could speed up efforts to produce new antibiotics in the fight against antimicrobial resistance. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-rapid-approach-cyclic-peptide-antibiotics.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Mon, 10 Jun 2024 14:41:04 EDT news637249262 Carbon capture and utilization technologies for the conversion of carbon dioxide into carboxylic acids have garnered attention recently, with researchers from Tokyo Tech recently demonstrating a biocatalyzed carboxylation reaction of not only natural substrate, pyruvate, but also an unnatural one, 2-ketoglutarate, using Thermoplasma acidophilum NADP+- malic enzyme under mild reaction conditions. The proposed strategy can be tailored for the selective synthesis through carbon dioxide fixation reactions. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-excess-carbon-dioxide-biocatalyst-driven.html Biochemistry Materials Science Mon, 10 Jun 2024 09:18:04 EDT news637229882 A groundbreaking study led by the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology in collaboration with Dominican University of California explores how small molecules derived from sea sponges affect energy production in mitochondria and details their remarkably targeted effects on various types of cancers. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-molecules-derived-sea-sponge-effects.html Biochemistry Thu, 06 Jun 2024 09:50:25 EDT news636886219 Some cancer drugs cause severe side effects because they are not working accurately enough. A team at the University of Würzburg led by biochemist Caroline Kisker has now discovered why. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-enzyme-reveals-cancer-drugs-severe.html Biochemistry Thu, 06 Jun 2024 09:13:05 EDT news636883982 A team led by Freiburg biochemist Prof. Dr. Susana Andrade has characterized a new membrane protein that allows microorganisms to repurpose ammonium transporters (Amts) as receptors. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-nature-repurposes-ammonium-receptors.html Biochemistry Thu, 06 Jun 2024 07:40:02 EDT news636878401 There are over 5 billion tons of plastic waste accumulated across the planet, much of which are microplastics that may harm human health and pose a long-term threat to agricultural productivity and food security. The gargantuan task of cleaning up this pollution could be aided by a tiny protein: a specialized enzyme designed to break down plastics into simple components that natural bacteria in the environment can use as a food source. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-enzymes-microplastics-sewage-wastewater.html Biochemistry Thu, 06 Jun 2024 04:35:23 EDT news636867317 Researchers from the Adolphe Merkle Institute (AMI), together with international collaborators, have pioneered a novel method for creating thin, energy-converting membranes that mimic the structure and function of biological cell membranes. This discovery could have significant applications in fields ranging from implantable artificial electric organs to water desalination. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-method-biomimetic-membranes-solutions-energy.html Biochemistry Polymers Wed, 05 Jun 2024 11:59:03 EDT news636807541 Astatine is one of the least-studied elements of the periodic table, because all isotopes of astatine are unstable, with the longest half-life barely exceeding 8 hours. Thus, only radiochemists at the production facilities (limited worldwide) can have access to this element to study its properties in a timely manner. Most of these isotopes undergo alpha decay. This type of radioactive decay releases alpha particles, which consist of two protons and two neutrons. These alpha particles can target and destroy diseased cells in the body. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-astatine-chemical-properties-aid-alpha.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Mon, 03 Jun 2024 16:30:03 EDT news636651001 Under certain conditions, some algae are able to produce hydrogen—a much sought-after green energy source. Its production takes place in the unique catalytic center of the unicellular algae and is only possible if certain cofactors of the relevant proteins are present. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-scientists-crucial-essential-production-hydrogen.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Mon, 03 Jun 2024 10:57:03 EDT news636631022 For years, Prof. Bozhi Tian's lab has been learning how to integrate the world of electronics—rigid, metallic, bulky—with the world of the body—soft, flexible, delicate. In their latest work, they have created a prototype for what they call "living bioelectronics": a combination of living cells, gel, and electronics that can integrate with living tissue. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-scientists-bioelectronics-skin.html Biochemistry Materials Science Fri, 31 May 2024 11:20:14 EDT news636373210 Mass production of recombinant proteins using yeast cell "factories" needs methanol, a compound that requires safe handling, carries the risk of catching fire, and sometimes produces harmful byproducts. Researchers at the Department of Biochemistry (BC), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), have now developed an alternative safer process that instead relies on a common food additive called mono-sodium glutamate (MSG). https://phys.org/news/2024-05-method-mass-production-recombinant-proteins.html Biochemistry Thu, 30 May 2024 15:00:04 EDT news636300002 UC Santa Barbara researchers are building out the repertoire of chemical reactions, using light. In a paper published in the journal Nature, chemistry professor Yang Yang and collaborators at the University of Pittsburgh report a method using photobiocatalysis to produce non-canonical (not naturally occurring) amino acids that are valuable building blocks of peptide therapeutics, bioactive natural products and novel functional proteins. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-method-enable-generation-canonical-amino.html Biochemistry Materials Science Thu, 30 May 2024 14:22:04 EDT news636297721 Proteins are vital biomolecules responsible for performing various functions in the human body and are thus regarded as the workhorses of a cell. The primary structure of a protein is composed of different amino acids coming together. The structure so formed then undergoes protein folding, a process by which a protein acquires its characteristic and functional three-dimensional configuration. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-zwitterionic-polymers-safer-drugs-disease.html Biochemistry Polymers Thu, 30 May 2024 12:21:41 EDT news636290497 In a paper recently published in Nature Communications, the HUN-REN-ELTE Protein Modeling Research Group (Institute of Chemistry) has laid the foundations for a mathematical method, allowing the computer-assisted comparison of the three-dimensional structures of proteins. The method is unique in that while the alternatives available so far only took into account the position of the atoms, the new technique, called LoCoHD (Local Composition Hellinger Distance), also includes the chemical information of the atoms. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-hungarian-method-aid-protein.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Wed, 29 May 2024 17:34:04 EDT news636222841 Researchers from Cleveland Clinic and IBM have recently published findings in the Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation that could lay the groundwork for applying quantum computing methods to protein structure prediction. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-quantum-methods-protein.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Wed, 29 May 2024 16:05:04 EDT news636217502