Biochemistry
The latest chemistry news and research on biochemistry, including proteomics, metabolism, enzymes and nucleic acid chemistry, from the Royal Society of Chemistry's magazine, Chemistry World
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BusinessThermo Fisher antibody data manipulation is a breach of trust, say researchers
Science sleuths say the problem is impacting research progress and Thermo’s response falls short
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FeatureExtremophiles are rewriting the rules of life on Earth
Creatures that survive extreme conditions like mind-boggling temperatures and toxicity challenge how we define life. Bárbara Pinho finds out how it will impact how we search for life beyond Earth
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NewsAston University unveils new £6 million membrane research facility
The facility will investigate membranes for applications such as water purification and drug development
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NewsProtein wrappers designed by AI solve membrane proteins’ solubility problem
Protein sheaths encapsulate membrane proteins while preserving their structure and function making them easier to study
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OpinionWould mirror life really threaten our own?
New modelling suggests that even if we could create cells based on mirror-image biomolecules, their natural counterparts would outcompete them in the wild
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ResearchPigeons navigate with ‘gut feeling’ powered by paramagnetic liver cells, study suggests
Homing pigeons might owe their navigational knowhow to iron nanoparticles in their liver
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ResearchStructure-led search tool set to refine how scientists explore metabolomics data
Platform can find molecules and substructures across massive public datasets
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ResearchElusive electronic effect could explain the origins of chirality for all life on Earth
Study suggests spin selectivity is different in enantiomers – altering their reaction rate – which ‘challenges a fundamental assumption in the field’
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FeatureThe molecular mystery of how we smell
Despite being one of our key senses, the molecular mechanisms of smell remain poorly understood. Mason Wakley sniffs out the competing theories of what may be happening in our noses
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PodcastVanadium-based medicines & sustainable labs
Vanadium-based medicines? We discuss the 23rd element’s little-known potential in pharmaceuticals. Plus, how labs across the UK are making achievable changes to increase their sustainability.
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ResearchVanadium’s promise in medicine and the researchers who refuse to give up
It mimics phosphate, kills cancer cells in the lab and almost changed how we treat diabetes. So why has a vanadium compound never made it to the clinic?
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OpinionCollective interactions dominate gene regulation in eukaryotes
A new technique shows DNA binding domains are not central to transcription factor targeting in human cells, unlike in bacteria
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ResearchDiscovery of unique modification to plant’s carbon dioxide-fixing enzyme could boost crops
Linker that joins up Rubisco cuts synthesis of toxic byproduct that plants pay a heavy energy price to deal with
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FeatureCone snail venom peptides offer new hope for pain relief
Cone snails deploy sophisticated venom cocktails to paralyse prey. Anthony King talks to the researchers harnessing these peptides to develop new pain medications
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ResearchCitric acid cycle a ‘garbage compactor’ as well as an energy powerhouse
Textbook metabolic cycle is still surprising scientists as they delve into its details
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WebinarTaking the sting out of pain: how marine venoms can be used to heal
Learn how marine venoms are being used to treat chronic pain
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FeatureUnravelling the chemistry behind the sea’s bioluminescent sparkle
Researchers are piecing together the unusual chemical reactions that enable dinoflagellates to create spectacular light displays in tropical bays. But the mechanism behind their bioluminescence remains one of nature’s most puzzling chemical mysteries
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PodcastAlphaGenome & the RNA world hypothesis
In this episode, we discuss Google DeepMind’s latest deep learning model AlphaGenome, dissect the origins of life from chemicals to complex lifeforms, and hear the latest headlines.
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FeatureHow RNA reveals clues to life’s origins on Earth
The discovery of catalytic RNA transformed our understanding of life’s beginnings. Clare Sansom explores how the RNA world hypothesis bridges the gap between non-living chemistry and the first cells
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OpinionThe wide-ranging influence of the Bohr effect
While not a Nobel prize-winning discovery in itself, this challenge to the reductionist view of physiology has links to several other winners