Biochemistry News and Research

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CSU researchers uncover new information on replication of viruses

An interdisciplinary team of researchers at Colorado State University has used computational chemistry, biochemistry and virology to uncover new information on how viruses such as West Nile, dengue and Zika replicate.

9 Feb 2020

Collaborative research uncovers underlying rules that, when broken, contribute to ALS

Clumps of proteins inside cells are a common thread in many neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig's disease.

7 Feb 2020

Purdue-developed 'fluorescent markers' begin Phase 3 clinical trials

On Target Laboratories Inc., a privately held biotechnology company developing the use of Purdue University-discovered fluorescent markers to target and illuminate cancer during surgery, has announced the results of a multi-institutional Phase 2 clinical trial in which outcomes were improved for 26% of patients undergoing pulmonary resection for non-small-cell lung cancer.

6 Feb 2020

Prenatal single cell blood test for gene defects

With the current state of knowledge regarding genetic testing, non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) is in favor for genetic testing in unborn babies, using fragments of DNA circulating in the mother’s blood.

4 Feb 2020

Researchers discover fundamental mechanism that regulates gene activity in cells

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have discovered a fundamental mechanism that regulates gene activity in cells.

4 Feb 2020

Flickering light triggers the brain to release signaling chemicals that may help fight Alzheimer's

For over a century, Alzheimer's disease has confounded all attempts to treat it. But in recent years, perplexing experiments using flickering light have shown promise.

4 Feb 2020

Long noncoding RNA can protect our metabolism against metabolic complications

Unlike what we commonly refer to as 'genes', these phantom genes or 'Long noncoding RNA' (LncRNAs) do not lead to the production of proteins that our cells, and thus our entire bodies are made of.

31 Jan 2020

Researchers examine abnormal neuron activity in Rett syndrome

The brain undergoes dramatic change during the first years of life. Its circuits readily rewire as an infant and then child encounters new sights and sounds, taking in the world and learning to understand it. As the child matures and key developmental periods pass, the brain becomes less malleable--but certain experiences create opportunities for parts of the adult brain to rewire and learn again.

29 Jan 2020

Maternal consumption of low-calorie sweeteners alters metabolism, gut microbiota in offspring

Many people turn to artificial or so-called natural sweeteners to cut calories and lose weight. A new study led by Dr. Raylene Reimer, PhD, published in the high-impact journal Gut discovered that the consumption of low-calorie sweeteners while pregnant increased body fat in their offspring and disrupted their gut microbiota - the trillions of bacteria and other microorganisms that inhabit the intestinal tract and affect our health and risk of numerous diseases.

29 Jan 2020

Pre-existing anticancer drug could help treat common form of heart failure

When it comes to finding new treatments for disease, reinventing the wheel is not always necessary - drugs already in use for other conditions may do the job.

29 Jan 2020

Researchers discover how CDK8 oncogene gets activated in healthy humans

Most cancers are caused by a large variety of factors that vary from one person to another. To unravel this complexity, genes that contribute to the development of a respective cancer must be identified. Such genes are called oncogenes. A good example of an oncogene is CDK8: Cyclin-dependent kinase 8.

28 Jan 2020

Microbe screening and sorting device created by researchers

Researchers have made a device that could sour the waters of the seas for microbes and also detect which of these could develop antimicrobial resistance. This could quantify the threat they pose to the ecosystems. This portable device and the trial with it were reported in the latest issue of the journal Scientific Reports. The study was titled, “Electrical impedance as an indicator of microalgal cell health.”

27 Jan 2020

New portable device could be used to assess microbes in the environment

Imagine a device that could swiftly analyze microbes in oceans and other aquatic environments, revealing the health of these organisms - too tiny to be seen by the naked eye - and their response to threats to their ecosystems.

27 Jan 2020

New study to measure effects of environmental exposure on young women's breasts

A University of Massachusetts Amherst cancer epidemiologist has received a $462,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health to expand her research into the effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on the breast density of college-age women. High breast density is a strong risk factor for breast cancer.

23 Jan 2020

Transcriptional scanning in the sperm may regulate rate of human evolution

Maturing sperm cells turn on most of their genes, not to follow their genetic instructions like normal, but instead to repair DNA before passing it to the next generation, a new study finds.

23 Jan 2020

New findings can help develop more effective antibiotic treatments to fight superbugs

Researchers have found how an antibiotic used to treat a debilitating gut infection stays put inside the body giving it time to effectively treat the problem, a discovery that will pave the way for the development of more effective antibiotic treatments to fight superbugs.

22 Jan 2020

Scientists break new ground with animal-free antibodies for diphtheria

A project taking the first steps towards ending the use of horses to treat diphtheria has succeeded.

21 Jan 2020

Study reveals new mechanism involved in the pathogenesis of IBD

Inflammatory bowel disease is a category of refractory inflammatory disease, of which ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are the main types.

21 Jan 2020

Irregularity in eating schedules during weekend linked to obesity

A new study by the University of Barcelona concluded that irregularity in eating schedules during the weekend, named by the authors as eating jet lag, could be related to the increase of body mass index (BMI), a formula that measures weight and height to determine whether someone's weight is healthy.

21 Jan 2020

Enterprise Therapeutics publishes open access paper on novel approach to treat cystic fibrosis

Enterprise Therapeutics Ltd, a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery and development of novel therapies to improve the lives of patients suffering with respiratory disease, today announced the publication of its first peer-reviewed paper.

21 Jan 2020