Biology and biotechnology – Page 2
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ResearchInvasive zebra mussels’ unique sticky threads unraveled
New understanding of byssal threads finds similarities with spider silk making them unlike any other mussels’
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ResearchHigh mercury levels in tropical birds in Americas blamed on gold mining
Exotic birds are the canary in the gold mine when it comes to mercury pollution and provide warning that other animals, including humans, affected
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ResearchBiocatalysis breakthrough enables synthesis of lactam building blocks for drugs
Enzymatic cyclisation of oxazolone reagents offers a cheap and simple route to important antibiotic precursor
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ResearchMolecular movie captures DNA repair from start to finish
Study spans pico- to microsecond timescales to uncover enzymatic process
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ResearchDNA-damaging device could make mutant discovery safer and simpler
Cool microplasma jets create a stream of radicals that induce mutations
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ResearchSynthetic yeast genome project creates strain with over 50% synthetic DNA
Entirely artificial organism opens up door to designer yeast with biotechnology applications
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ResearchUnderwater device reveals marine chemical diversity
I-Smel device probes metabolites produced by Mediterranean sponges
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ResearchPainting with DNA
Fluorescently labeled DNA strands produce a palette of 16 million colours
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ResearchControlling insulin activity in cells with ‘DNA origami’
Insulin–DNA nanorods elicit geometry-dependent insulin activity, which could lead to more targeted treatments for diabetes
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ResearchACE2 receptor not essential for Sars-CoV-2 infection, study shows
Fresh understanding linked to evolutionary plasticity of Covid-19 virus
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ResearchField study reveals banned pesticide sulfoxaflor had no effect on pollination by bumblebees
Work adds to nuanced picture of pesticide’s effect on pollinating insects
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ResearchDirect imaging reveals individual protein-bound glycans in new detail
Sequences and locations of biomolecule-bound sugar chains studied at the single-molecule level
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ResearchGenetic-editing of chickens protects them from catching the flu
Approach heralds new way to make animals resistant to disease
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ResearchAssembly theory puts chemistry centre stage to explain molecular complexity and life’s origins
Concept that attempts to join physics and biology via chemistry met with interest but also harsh criticism
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ResearchMutation studies reveal how Antarctic octopus arms itself with cool enzyme
Understanding cold-tolerant enzyme could help with transplant organ preservation
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ResearchCryo-EM scaffold supports imaging of small proteins previously tricky to study
Improved understanding of the structure of small proteins could aid drug designers
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Research’This is just the beginning’: RNA editing set to democratise viral engineering
Crispr-based system could ease development of novel RNA therapies
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ResearchSnail study unveils composition of three different types of mucus
Findings could help develop synthetic mucus for biomedical applications, as well as cosmetics
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ResearchChemical industry hasn’t yet developed an appetite for biocatalysis, survey finds
Misconceptions along with a lack of time and resources driving industry’s reluctant attitude to biocatalysis and chemoenzymatic catalysis
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ResearchBiochemistry behind CBD’s anti-inflammatory effects points to new ways to treat inflammation
Cell studies unravel mechanism of action but human studies are needed