Biology
The latest chemistry news and research on biology, including biochemistry, biotechnology, synthetic biology and origins of life, from the Royal Society of Chemistry's magazine, Chemistry World
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Research
Iontronic gel droplets detect beating heart tissue
Microscale hydrogels converted into biocompatable electrical components
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Research
Isotope analysis reveals ‘mundane’ origins of remarkable dinosaur fossil site
Collapsing burrows, not volcanoes, killed the dinosaurs in China’s Yixian Formation
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Research
Scientists uncover the chemistry of the corpse flower’s potent stench
The noxious smell comes from a mixture of putrescine and sulfur compounds
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Opinion
What are the limits of life?
In search of design principles that would apply to living systems evolved anywhere in the universe
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Research
Tomato sweetness boosted by gene editing to knock out two genes
Glucose and fructose levels were increased by 30%
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Research
Parrots’ vibrant plumage controlled by single enzyme
Mutation in gene reveals control of red and yellow pigments specific to parrots
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Feature
Battery-free bioelectronic implants
Spurred by advances in energy-harvesting materials, a new generation of advanced implantable biomedical devices is emerging that does away with the bulky battery. James Mitchell Crow reports
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Research
Easy to remove tag could make mRNA synthesis for vaccines quicker and cheaper
Chemical synthesis takes another step towards overtaking more complex enzymatic routes
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Research
Mineral-extracting microorganism could solve early Earth’s nitrogen-fixing mystery
Ancient microorganisms could have extracted vital nitrogen compounds using molybdenum mined from rocks
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Feature
How AI protein structure prediction and design won the Nobel prize
David Baker, Demis Hassabis and John Jumper won this year’s Nobel prize in chemistry. Jamie Durrani investigates the origins of a biochemistry revolution
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Research
Study shows how bacterium tweaks its lipopolysaccharides to survive chill of Antarctic lake
Adaptations seem at odds with survival strategies adopted by related species
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News
Explainer: Why have protein design and structure prediction won the 2024 Nobel prize in chemistry?
Research that has taken us from sequence to structure and back again
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News
Protein design and structure prediction wins chemistry Nobel prize
David Baker, Demis Hassabis and John Jumper were rewarded for creating computational tools to design proteins and predict their structures that have ‘revolutionised biological chemistry’
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News
microRNA discovery wins Nobel prize in medicine
Research on tiny RNA molecules unlocked mysteries of gene regulation and cell differentiation
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News
Explainer: what is ricin?
The poison found in castor beans so deadly a single molecule can kill a cell
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Webinar
The science and promise of liquid biopsies: improving cancer treatment
Learn how liquid biopsies are being used to identify cancer and improve patient outcomes
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Feature
Blood biopsies for cancer
Testing small amounts of blood for the presence of disease markers could revolutionise how we detect cancer. Clare Sansom reports
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Research
Nanopore sequencing set to transform our understanding of proteins
Rapid sequencing technique can not only deal with proteins hundreds of amino acids long but can detect modifications
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Research
Yellow food dye could give doctors a new way to look beneath the skin
Tartrazine can safely and reversibly turn the skin of mice transparent