Biology – Page 7
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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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BusinessUK becomes first country in the world to authorise a Crispr-based gene therapy
Treatment aims to cure patients with β-thalassaemia and sickle-cell disease
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NewsFisheries agency concludes it’s ‘very unlikely’ pyridine behind UK crustacean deaths after new tests
Cause of mass die-offs in late 2021 and early 2022 still a mystery
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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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FeatureBattling long Covid with drugs
The challenge of finding drugs for a poorly understood disease with many symptoms is clear. Clare Sansom looks at the work going on to help the people suffering in its shadow
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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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FeatureMedical uses for silk
Nina Notman speaks to the researchers exploring medical applications for silkworm silk
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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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OpinionWill the assembly theory imbroglio do anything for evolution?
A claim to have explained selection has caused a stir, and it’s worth asking why, says Philip Ball
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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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OpinionMoving beyond protein structure
Efforts to understand how intrinsically disordered regions interact have produced a variety of answers
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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