RNA polymerase is a key enzyme involved in the process of transcription, where genetic information encoded in DNA is transcribed into RNA molecules. This enzyme plays a crucial role in gene expression, as it catalyzes the synthesis of RNA strands complementary to a DNA template strand. Through its intricate structure and precise mechanism of action, … Read more
Amino acids are fundamental building blocks of proteins and play crucial roles in numerous biological processes. Understanding the structure, function, and significance of amino acids is essential for comprehending the complexity of living organisms and the molecular mechanisms that underlie their functions. Amino acids are organic molecules composed of a central carbon atom (referred to … Read more
DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) and RNA (Ribonucleic Acid) are two fundamental molecules essential for life as we know it. While they share similarities in their chemical composition and play crucial roles in genetic processes, they also exhibit distinct differences that are essential for understanding the complexity of biological systems. DNA, famously known as the “molecule of … Read more
In supramolecular chemistry, the self-assembly state of molecules plays a significant role in determining their tangible properties. Controlling the self-assembled state has garnered significant attention as it can be exploited to design materials with desired properties like charge transport capability and fluorescence wavelength. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, investigated … Read more
University of Michigan researchers are celebrating their discovery of a new plant biochemistry and its unusual ability to form cyclic peptides—molecules that hold promise in pharmaceuticals as they can bind to challenging drug targets. Cyclic peptides are an emerging and promising area of drug research. The new study, led by U-M College of Pharmacy researchers … Read more
A new antibiotic created by Harvard researchers overcomes antimicrobial resistance mechanisms that have rendered many modern drugs ineffective and are driving a global public health crisis. A team led by Andrew Myers, Amory Houghton Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, reports in Science that their synthetic compound, cresomycin, kills many strains of drug-resistant bacteria, including … Read more
Scientists at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have built and demonstrated the potential efficacy of a new chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell-based immunotherapy specifically designed to treat patients with cutaneous and rare subtypes of melanoma. CAR T-cell therapy uses genetically engineered versions of a patient’s immune cells to target and destroy cancer cells. … Read more
Scientists still are not sure how neurological symptoms arise in COVID-19. Is it because SARS-CoV-2 infects the brain? Or are these symptoms the result of inflammation in the rest of the body? A study by Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin has now produced evidence to support the latter theory. It was published in the journal Nature Neuroscience. Headaches, … Read more
Researchers can engineer cells to express new genes and produce specific proteins, giving the cells new parts to work with. But, it’s much harder to provide cells with instructions on how to organize and use those new parts. Now, new tools from University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers offer an innovative way around this problem. Their research … Read more
A fascinating glimpse into prehistoric life emerges from the study of Vittrup Man, an enigmatic figure from the Stone Age whose story unfolds along the windswept Scandinavian coast and the fertile plains of Denmark. The moniker “Vittrup Man” is bestowed upon a skeletal remnant unearthed from a peat bog in Northwest Denmark, dating back to … Read more
Organic chemistry is the branch of chemistry that deals with the study of carbon-containing compounds. It is a vast and diverse field with applications ranging from pharmaceuticals and materials science to agriculture and environmental science. The study of organic chemistry dates back centuries, with significant advancements made in understanding the structure, properties, and reactions of … Read more
Cells lacking a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles are known as prokaryotic cells. These cells represent one of the two major categories of cells, the other being eukaryotic cells, which possess a nucleus and various membrane-bound organelles. Prokaryotic cells are found in two domains of life: Bacteria and Archaea. Despite their simplicity compared to eukaryotic cells, … Read more
A new Northwestern Medicine study has found the immune system in the blood of Alzheimer’s patients is epigenetically altered. That means the patients’ behavior or environment has caused changes that affect the way their genes work. Many of these altered immune genes are the same ones that increase an individual’s risk for Alzheimer’s. Northwestern scientists … Read more
Penn Engineers have pioneered a new way to visualize the smallest protein clusters, skirting the physical limitations of light-powered microscopes and opening new avenues for detecting the proteins implicated in diseases like Alzheimer’s and testing new treatments. In a paper appearing in Cell Systems, Lukasz Bugaj, Assistant Professor in Bioengineering, describes the creation of CluMPS, … Read more
A new study published in Nature Communications gives insights into the underlying mechanisms of the formation of protein clumps in Alzheimer’s disease. The study, led by researchers from Karolinska Institutet, could pave the way for new treatments for this devastating neurodegenerative disorder. Alzheimer’s disease affects millions of people worldwide, causing memory loss, confusion, and cognitive … Read more
Pancreatic cancer is the No. 3 cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, and only 12% of patients survive five years after being diagnosed. Severe pancreatic cancer is associated with metastasis, and it is this spread of secondary tumors that usually causes death, but little is known about the molecular mechanisms that drive metastasis. … Read more
Research suggests that a recent understanding of cell movements may help shed light on the mechanisms driving primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), an autoimmune disease that attacks the bile ducts of the liver. According to a recent paper published in Nature Communications, Dr. Scott Davies, Professor Ye Htun Oo and the team found that the invasion … Read more
Aerobic respiration is a fundamental metabolic process that provides organisms with the energy they need to sustain life. Occurring in the presence of oxygen, aerobic respiration involves the breakdown of organic molecules, such as glucose, to produce ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the universal energy currency of cells. This intricate biochemical pathway consists of several interconnected stages, … Read more
Adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, serves as the primary energy currency in living organisms, playing a crucial role in various cellular processes across all forms of life. Its significance lies in its ability to store and transfer energy within cells, enabling fundamental biological functions necessary for life, growth, and reproduction. At its core, ATP consists of … Read more
Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin, in collaboration with scientists from The University of Texas at Dallas and the University of Miami, are spearheading a groundbreaking approach to address neuropathic pain, a challenging condition often caused by nerve damage in various bodily tissues. This type of pain, characterized by sensations like electric shocks, … Read more