https://phys.org/chemistry-news/biochemistry en-us The latest news on biochemistry Pentoses are essential carbohydrates in the metabolism of modern lifeforms, but their availability during early Earth is unclear since these molecules are unstable. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-synthesis-sugars-life.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Fri, 01 Dec 2023 07:14:44 EST news620637281 A method for producing a highly absorbent material from sisal (Agave sisalana)—a drought-tolerant succulent plant—is described in a study published in Communications Engineering. The authors suggest that, with further development, their method could be used to produce locally sourced disposable menstrual pads in rural and semi-arid regions. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-menstrual-pads-succulents-access-sanitary.html Biochemistry Polymers Fri, 01 Dec 2023 06:55:02 EST news620636101 To ensure that vaccines provide strong and lasting immunization, it is often necessary to supplement the actual vaccine (antigen) with additives that stimulate the immune system: adjuvants. Today, only a few substances have been approved for use as adjuvants. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-team-spectrum-potential-vaccine-adjuvants.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Thu, 30 Nov 2023 10:36:03 EST news620562961 Researchers at Kanazawa University report in the Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters high-speed atomic force microscopy studies that shed light on the possible role of the open reading frame 6 (ORF6) protein in COVID-19 symptoms. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-dynamic-behavior-key-sars-cov-accessory.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Wed, 29 Nov 2023 14:44:04 EST news620491442 The idea of irreversible inhibitors adhering permanently to a target protein has gained increasing attention for application in potential drug development. However, one of many hurdles is the possibility of protein mutations making otherwise effective drugs pharmacologically inactive. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-irreversible-inhibitor-proteins-drug-resistant-mutations.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Wed, 29 Nov 2023 12:28:00 EST news620483277 Blood tests are a common, yet often painful, step in health care. But what if we could skip the needles altogether? Saliva and blood contain many of the same biomarkers, and collecting spit is as simple as drooling into a container. Researchers reporting in ACS Sensors have developed a device that detects glucose and adenosine monophosphate (AMP) biomarkers in saliva with high sensitivity, which could help make at-home health monitoring easier and without a poke. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-swapping-blood-convenient-at-home-health.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Wed, 29 Nov 2023 11:07:32 EST news620478449 A sugar-based molecule naturally produced by the body can help cells grow, differentiate into different types, self-destruct if need be and much more. It helps protect the cell's genome, repair DNA, and regulate how genes are passed down. The molecule, called poly(adenosine diphosphate ribose) or poly(ADP-ribose), can potentially inform disease prevention and treatments—if scientists can figure out exactly how it works. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-synthetic-molecules-elucidate-cellular-functions.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Tue, 28 Nov 2023 17:20:03 EST news620414402 Many of the most promising new pharmaceuticals coming along in the drug development pathway are hydrophobic by nature—that is, they repel water, and are thus hard to dissolve in order to make them available to the body. But now, researchers at MIT have found a more efficient way of processing and delivering these drugs that could make them far more effective. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-hydrogels-drugs-efficiently.html Biochemistry Materials Science Tue, 28 Nov 2023 16:57:04 EST news620413021 Today, petrochemical compounds and rare metals such as platinum and iridium are used to produce semiconductors for optoelectronics, such as organic LEDs for super-thin TV and mobile phone screens. Physicists at Umeå University in collaboration with researchers in Denmark and China, have discovered a more sustainable alternative. By pressure-cooking birch leaves picked on the Umeå University campus, they have produced a nanosized carbon particle with desired optical properties. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-pressure-cooking-birch-raw-material-semiconductors.html Biochemistry Materials Science Tue, 28 Nov 2023 15:51:03 EST news620409061 Scientists at the University of Bath have used nature as inspiration in developing a new tool that will help researchers develop new pharmaceutical treatments in a cleaner, greener, and less expensive way. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-scientists-harness-super-power-pave.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Tue, 28 Nov 2023 10:57:52 EST news620391469 Protein-like aggregates known as amyloids can bind to molecules of genetic material. It is possible that these two types of molecules stabilized each other during the development of life—and that this might even have paved the way for the genetic code. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-molecular-cooperation-threshold-life.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Mon, 27 Nov 2023 10:45:04 EST news620304302 A team of chemists at McGill University, working with a colleague from Charité-Universitätsmedizin, in Germany, has uncovered part of the process used by mussels to bind to rocks and to quickly release from them when conditions warrant. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-dynamic-bio-interface-mussel-tissue-byssus.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Sat, 25 Nov 2023 12:10:01 EST news620042877 Methamphetamine (meth) abuse is a major health concern. Understanding how meth interacts with its target proteins is crucial for the development of novel medications to address drug addiction. Previous research into the mechanism of meth's effects has mainly focused on the dopamine system, but recent studies suggest it may also directly bind to the trace amine receptor 1 (TAAR1), which plays a key role in psychostimulant abuse-related behaviors. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-uncover-molecular-mechanism-methamphetamine-amine.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Fri, 24 Nov 2023 12:00:43 EST news620049641 As biocatalysts, enzymes can make many chemical processes "greener" and open up promising opportunities for various industries from pharmaceuticals to environmental technology. New analytical methods, the enormous increase in data volumes and machine learning have helped boost the development of biocatalysis. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-success-biocatalysis-pharmaceuticals-environmental-technology.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Fri, 24 Nov 2023 10:51:52 EST news620045509 New protein sequencing technology with improved sensitivity and throughput will bring revolution to proteomics and clinical diagnostics. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-method-peptide-sequencing-based-nanopore.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Fri, 24 Nov 2023 10:39:03 EST news620044741 While E. coli is one of the most studied organisms, the function of 30% of proteins that make up E. coli has not yet been clearly revealed. For this, an artificial intelligence was used to discover 464 types of enzymes from the proteins that were unknown, and the researchers went on to verify the predictions of three types of proteins that were successfully identified through in vitro enzyme assay. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-enzyme-discovering-ai.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Fri, 24 Nov 2023 10:37:04 EST news620044622 The human immune system is based on cells that communicate with each other via signaling molecules known as cytokines and chemokines. One of these signaling molecules is the protein MIF (macrophage migration inhibitory factor). It plays an important role in the regulation of various immune reactions by binding to suitable receptors of various cell types in a ternary complex, thereby activating certain signaling pathways in these cells. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-proteins-resemble-human-immune-receptors.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Fri, 24 Nov 2023 09:15:03 EST news620039701 Researchers at McMaster University have discovered unique characteristics of a mechanism used by bacteria to resist an important class of antibiotics. The new research, published in Nature Chemical Biology, shows that resistance to aminoglycoside drugs—used to treat a variety of infections—is far more complex than initially thought. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-unicorn-defense-mechanism-bacteria-antibiotics.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Wed, 22 Nov 2023 16:58:58 EST news619894735 Drugs to treat cancer are often very expensive to produce, resulting in high costs for the patients who need them. Thanks to pathbreaking research by UCLA chemists, led by organic chemistry professor Ohyun Kwon, the price of drug treatments for cancer and other serious illnesses may soon plummet. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-chemists-oxygen-copper-scissors-cheaper.html Biochemistry Materials Science Wed, 22 Nov 2023 14:25:03 EST news619885501 The overexpression of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) is closely associated with the onset and progression of diverse chronic diseases, such as cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and chronic diabetic ulcers. Hydrogen therapy, as an emerging and promising general-purpose therapeutic approach, normally utilizes molecular H2 to selectively eliminate RONS and maintain intracellular redox homeostasis, thereby treating related chronic diseases. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-solid-state-atomic-hydrogen-potential-therapy.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Tue, 21 Nov 2023 16:01:03 EST news619804861 Investigators at the University of Kansas have played a key role in deciphering a previously unidentified cluster of genes responsible for producing sartorypyrones, a chemical made by the fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus, whose family causes Aspergillosis in humans. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-deadly-pathogen-chemicals.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Tue, 21 Nov 2023 13:45:04 EST news619796701 Researchers at Maynooth University, working as part of an international team, have created a new molecule that could help in the fight against drug-resistant bacteria. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-molecule-tackle-antimicrobial-resistance.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Tue, 21 Nov 2023 12:45:51 EST news619793144 Humic acid (HA) is a macromolecular organic substance that is widely used in agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, chemical industry, building materials, medicine, environmental protection, and a number of other fields. However, the production of chemical HA in the market relies on non-renewable resources, such as peat, lignite, and coal, which require long periods to form. And the extracted HA yield depends on the type and quality of fossils. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-wealth-biomass-humic-acid-two-step.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Tue, 21 Nov 2023 10:52:09 EST news619786326 Neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's, affect millions of people in the United States, and the cost of caring for people who live with these conditions adds up to hundreds of billions of dollars each year. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-coffee-grounds-key-neurodegenerative-diseases.html Biochemistry Tue, 21 Nov 2023 08:36:47 EST news619778200 RNA has been in the limelight for its starring role in cutting-edge vaccine technology, but RNA molecules are also key players in the inner workings of cells. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-rna-solo-ever-changing-stage-cellular.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Mon, 20 Nov 2023 11:12:03 EST news619701121 Small molecules called immunomodulators can help create more effective vaccines and stronger immunotherapies to treat cancer. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-boost-vaccines-immunotherapies-machine-effective.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Sat, 18 Nov 2023 05:10:29 EST news619506621 Sustainable and environmentally friendly production processes are playing an increasingly important role in almost all branches of industry. The production of active pharmaceutical ingredients in particular involves the use of various materials and reagents, many of which have environmentally harmful properties and therefore require costly processing and disposal. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-green-pharmaceutical-production-wood.html Biochemistry Materials Science Thu, 16 Nov 2023 11:02:27 EST news619354940 Researchers led by Prof. Wang Lei from the Institute of Biophysics of the Chinese Academy of Science (CAS) and their collaborators have identified the direct target of vinigrol as protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) on the cell membrane. Vinigrol activates ADAM17 protease by inhibiting PDI, and then leads to the shedding of immune receptors TNFR1, thereby antagonizing the TNF-α signaling. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-vinigrol-protein-disulfide-isomerase-block.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Thu, 16 Nov 2023 10:31:59 EST news619353117 Prof. Jiang Bin's research team at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) have developed a universal field-induced recursively embedded atom neural network (FIREANN) model, which can accurately simulate system-field interactions with high efficiency. Their research was published in Nature Communications on October 12. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-machine-molecular-simulation-external-field.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Thu, 16 Nov 2023 10:18:03 EST news619352281 Protocell networks assembled by artificial cell-like compartments have been developed for the expansion of cell-mimicking functionalities, such as signal processing, protein expression, morphological differentiation, and energy harvesting. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-self-sorting-coacervates-high-order-protocell-networks.html Biochemistry Thu, 16 Nov 2023 09:32:44 EST news619349562