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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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
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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
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NewsCould Crispr cure HIV?
The first gene-editing therapies for HIV/Aids are entering trials but the virus is proving once again that it is a master at evading eradication
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ResearchCryo-EM snapshots reveal insight into how opioids activate their receptor
Insights from structural images could help design new opioids and antidotes to them
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ResearchTraditional yoghurt recipe reveals ants’ fermentation power
Rebecca Trager meets a cross-disciplinary team investigating an ancient way to make yoghurt, which involved a trip to a tiny Bulgarian village
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ResearchAI-designed antibodies target antigens with atomic precision
Epitope-binding proteins designed from scratch by generative AI model
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NewsGeneticist James Watson who co-discovered the structure of DNA dies at 97
Famed for his work on DNA’s structure, but Watson courted controversy throughout his career
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WebinarFood and us: the incredible story of how food shapes humanity
Learn about the intricate interplay between our genetic and physical makeup and the food we eat
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OpinionThe molecular mechanisms behind cell cognition
Condensate formation is central to how budding yeast cells decide their response to environmental and internal conditions
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ResearchUltrapotent thrombin inhibitor combines peptide fragments from a trio of blood-sucking organisms
Hybrid molecule featuring leech, tsetse fly and flea peptide fragments binds thrombin at three sites
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WebinarDeveloping a CITK protein degrader using the QuicTPD™ platform
Learn about the latest technology to accelerate the design of cancer treatments
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NewsThe 2025 Nobel prize in chemistry as it happens – live
Join us as we provide analysis and commentary in the run up to the announcement of the biggest prize in chemistry
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NewsMedicine Nobel prize recognises discovery of protective ‘security guard’ regulatory T cells
Research explained how body protects itself from the immune system, offering new ways to treat autoimmune disease
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ResearchNext generation gene editors engineered to significantly reduce error rate
Introducing mutations into DNA-snipping ‘molecular scissors’ can result in 60-fold reduction in errors
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ResearchThioesters could explain how proteins first formed on early Earth
Cells use proteins to make other proteins – new research could explain how the first proteins arose without other enzymes directing the process
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ResearchThis deep-sea worm turns two toxins into a harmless mineral
Unusual biomineralisation strategy used for detoxification rather than reinforcing tissues
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ResearchScientists capture crystal structures of cannabinoid receptor in action
Study reveals how two aromatic residues flip when agonists bind, providing the trigger for downstream signalling
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ResearchCould climate change cause sharks to lose their bite?
Increasing acidification of the world’s seas puts shark’s teeth at risk
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ResearchNew class of antifungals show potent effects against priority pathogens
Coniotins, found in another fungus, is effective against drug-resistant pathogenic fungi