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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OpinionPolicies for advanced wound care dressings in India
India faces a growing crisis in wound treatment, driven by diabetes and an ageing population. A new policy approach could enable Indian innovation to meet this need.
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WebinarTaking the sting out of pain: how marine venoms can be used to heal
Join us on 24 April to 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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NewsExplainer: What is epibatidine?
The science behind the dart frog toxin that was allegedly used to kill the Russian politician Alexei Navalny
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NewsSelf-synthesising RNA strand offers clues to life’s origins
RNA strand, made of just 45 nucleotides, performs two key reactions required for self-replication
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ResearchEngineered enzymes could boost amide bond-forming efficiency for drug synthesis
Approach offers greener route to amide-containing drugs via aldehydes
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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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Research‘Living biosensor’ lights up to detect wine spoilage in real time
Genetically modified bacteria glow in high levels of acetic acid, a common signal that wine has gone bad
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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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OpinionCrispr therapies will change medicine but there will be challenges along the way
The first treatments making use of Crispr gene editing may suffer some early hiccups
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ResearchGoogle’s AlphaGenome wants to do for DNA what AlphaFold did for proteins
Model predicts effect of mutations on sequences up to 1 million base pairs in length and is adept at tackling complex non-coding regions
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ResearchFluids used to preserve Charles Darwin’s Galápagos Island specimens probed by Raman spectroscopy
Non-invasive technique enables better care of historic samples
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FeatureHow soft electronics are transforming medical devices
Degradable pacemakers and artificial neurons showcase how flexible, tissue-compatible electronics are revolutionising medicine. But translating these materials from lab bench to clinic requires solving complex structure–function relationships
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BusinessFunding boost for Grangemouth whisky waste-to-chemicals firms
Governments hope £9 million in grants will help MiAlgae and Celtic Renewables replace oil-refining jobs
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ResearchAI tool dramatically reduces computing power needed to find protein-binding molecules
New protocol is up to 10 million times faster than current docking-based methods
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OpinionArchaeon’s lack of metabolism challenges definitions of life
A question that is not the same as asking whether something is alive
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ResearchThianthrenium reagent captures elusive protein interactions in living cells
Reagent creates short, stable protein crosslinks, enabling researchers to identify previously unknown protein–protein interactions
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ResearchProtein design takes big leap forward as model produces enzymes almost as effective as nature’s
New iteration of RoseTTAFold Diffusion optimises side chain placing to break bonds
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ResearchBacteria tweaked to produce high yields of colour-changing pigment behind octopus camouflage
Dangled carrot of formic acid fuel drives engineered bacteria to make cephalopod dye at yields a thousand times higher than conventional means
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ResearchChemistry and AI pushes biosignature detection for life back billions of years
Combining analytical chemistry with machine learning doubled the age of ancient rocks that can be examined for signs of primordial life