Biochemistry News and Research

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Gene-silencer study could pave the way for novel cancer therapeutics

Deep inside our cells-;each one complete with an identical set of genes-;a molecular machine known as PRC2 plays a critical role in determining which cells become heart cells, versus brain or muscle or skin cells.

26 Sep 2023

Pitt launches trial to test interventions for life-threatening bleeding in injured children

The No. 1 cause of death in children is trauma. There are an estimated 2,000 pediatric deaths from traumatic bleeding in the U.S. each year that are preventable with optimal care, yet there have been no large-scale clinical trials to guide the best way to resuscitate children with life-threatening bleeding from traumatic injury.

21 Sep 2023

Scientists uncover a crucial component for restoring functional activity after spinal cord injury

In a new study in mice, a team of researchers from UCLA, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, and Harvard University have uncovered a crucial component for restoring functional activity after spinal cord injury.

21 Sep 2023

A family of weird proteins hijacks plants’ cellular plumbing

Many of the bacteria that ravage crops and threaten our food supply use a common strategy to cause disease: they inject a cocktail of harmful proteins directly into the plant's cells.

13 Sep 2023

New class of iron-targeting compounds found to hamper proliferation of cancer cells

Researchers at the University of Arizona Cancer Center discovered a new class of iron-targeting compounds that hamper the proliferation of cultured malignant cells in a laboratory setting.

12 Sep 2023

Capture and release of tumor cells using a bioelectronic device

In the book entitled Microfluidic Systems for Cancer Diagnosis, the UPV/EHU’s Microfluidics Cluster group describes the process for building a bioelectronic device consisting of gold electrodes coated with a smart polymer capable of capturing and releasing cells in a non-invasive, controllable way while monitoring the processes using conventional electrical measurements.

8 Sep 2023

UTSA researchers study the mechanism of action of Sweet Annie's medicinal compounds

Vibrant green leaves sprout from tall fragrant plants sitting neatly in two rows of terracotta pots in Valerie Sponsel's UTSA biology laboratory.

8 Sep 2023

CMFI 2023: Advancing the fight against multi-resistant pathogens

CMFI 2023 addresses pressing challenges of our time, such as the rise of multi-resistant pathogens and the roles of microbes in causing or preventing major chronic disease.

5 Sep 2023

Coronavirus fusion peptide could be important target for vaccine development

Although the COVID-19 pandemic was the first time most of humanity learned of the now infamous disease, the family of coronaviruses was first identified in the mid-1960s.

4 Sep 2023

Lessons learned from COVID-19 pandemic can help confront future epidemics

Where did COVID-19 originate? Prof Angus Dalgleish shows that the virus that emerged in Wuhan, China in 2019 had been modified in a laboratory to make it more infectious (for the construction of a more effective vaccine).

1 Sep 2023

Discovery could lead to more effective treatments for cancers

Case Western Reserve University biochemical researchers have identified a new function of a key protein that leads to cancer–a finding they believe could lead to more effective treatments for a range of cancers and other diseases.

31 Aug 2023

New insights into how lung cells detect influenza virus

Researchers from Trinity College Dublin have discovered some new and surprising ways that viral RNA and influenza virus are detected by human lung cells, which has potential implications for treating people affected by such viruses.

31 Aug 2023

Coronavirus fusion peptide plays more invasive role in infection than previously thought

Although the COVID-19 pandemic was the first time most of humanity learned of the now infamous disease, the family of coronaviruses was first identified in the mid-1960s.

31 Aug 2023

Scientists discover new microglial population important for memory and learning

Following more than seven years of research, researchers at the University of Seville-IBiS (Institute of Biomedicine of Seville) have identified a new key cell type with a critical role in the developmental processes of memory and learning.

31 Aug 2023

New omicron variants can reinfect people who were infected with earlier variants

The omicron variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which have rapidly spread around the world over the past year, latch onto our cells more tightly, invade them more efficiently, and elude many of the antibodies induced by previous infections and vaccines.

30 Aug 2023

Scientists create library of mutant bacteria to study antibiotic resistance

Modern medicine depends on antibiotics to treat infections by disabling targets inside bacterial cells. Once inside these cells, antibiotics bind to certain sites on specific enzyme targets to stop bacterial growth.

30 Aug 2023

Light-driven bacteria could be used to target and kill cancer cells

Targeting malignant tumors with high precision is challenging for biomedical researchers. However, this scenario is likely to witness a paradigm shift in the near future, through the use of specially engineered bacteria, that can eliminate malignant cells efficiently.

29 Aug 2023

Researchers unravel structure of MCM8/9 enzyme linked to infertility and cancer

Scientific research requires patience. The rewards are not always immediate, and the technology needed does not always exist. Michael A. Trakselis, Ph.D., professor and director of graduate affairs for the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Baylor University, understands this.

29 Aug 2023

Fat-filled lipid droplets may be a potential threat to cell's nucleus

Fat is a normal and necessary part of the body. Fat cells store and release energy, as well as play significant roles in hormonal regulation and immunity.

28 Aug 2023

Lung cells can be trained to counteract inflammation

Inflammation is a standard part of our bodies' immune system response. But sometimes this response becomes hyperactivated in our lungs, causing inflammation to continue unchecked, which can be fatal. Many deaths from COVID-19 have been due to excessive inflammation, which results in acute lung injury.

24 Aug 2023