Organic chemistry News and Research

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Sulfate groups on complex sugar molecules affect brain plasticity

Can you recognize someone you haven't seen in years, but forget what you had for breakfast yesterday? Our brains constantly rearrange their circuitry to remember familiar faces or learn new skills, but the molecular basis of this process isn't well understood.

16 Aug 2023

New way to create unnatural amino acids identified

Every protein in your body is made up of the same 20 building blocks called amino acids. But just because nature is stuck with a limited toolkit doesn't mean humans can't expand it.

1 Aug 2023

Scientists discover a way to produce true structure of naturally-occurring anti-HIV compound

Having control over how a dish is cooked is always a good idea. Taking a hint from the kitchen, scientists appear to have discovered a way to produce a true structure of the rare but naturally-occurring anti-HIV compound Lancilactone C from start to finish.

28 Jul 2023

Fentanyl overdose reversal: New hope on the horizon

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 100,000 Americans die each year from an overdose, most due to the use of synthetic opiates like fentanyl. While naloxone, currently the only an antidote for opiate overdose, has become more common, it is less effective against fentanyl-class synthetic opioids.

18 Jul 2023

New method can track the complete activity of proteins in living cells

The genetic plans within our DNA come to functional fruition through proteins, which underlie our bodies' structure and activity.

29 Jun 2023

A new approach for the synthesis of pharmaceutically relevant fluorinated phenanthridines

Phenanthridines are heterocyclic compounds consisting of two six-membered benzene rings fused to a six-membered ring containing nitrogen.

26 Jun 2023

Structure of protein methyltransferase from the monkeypox virus deciphered

Scientists from the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry in Prague have deciphered the structure of the protein methyltransferase from the monkeypox virus

30 Apr 2023

The Power of Solid-State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance in Biological Research

In this interview conducted at Pittcon 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, we spoke to this year's recipient of the Pittsburgh Spectroscopy Award, Robert Tycko.

From Pittcon 20 Apr 2023

Scientific breakthrough by Sjöberg laureate brings new hope to lung cancer patients

This year's Sjöberg Prize in cancer research of one million dollars is awarded to professor Kevan Shokat, University of California, USA.

15 Feb 2023

Study finds high levels of hydrogen peroxide in pancreatic cancer cells

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are reputed for their involvement in carcinogenesis. Results from a study published in the journal Angewandte Chemie have now shown that the level of one such ROS,

7 Feb 2023

Simple technique could be a powerful solution for disposing ‘forever chemicals’

PFAS, a group of manufactured chemicals commonly used since the 1940s, are called "forever chemicals" for a reason.

18 Aug 2022

Acid ceramidase is a SARS-CoV-2 host factor, study says

Fluoxetine, a common antidepressant, inhibits the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in cell cultures and in preparations from human lung tissue. This was demonstrated by researchers at Julius-Maximilians-Universität (JMU) Würzburg in the summer of 2020. However, the mechanism of this inhibition was utterly unclear, so the teams continued their research.

17 Aug 2022

New method can modify an entire substance class of medically relevant natural products

The use of the element fluorine to modify active substances is an important tool in modern drug development.

5 Aug 2022

New method could lead to more efficient production of next-generation antibiotics

An international team of researchers has developed a method for altering one class of antibiotics, using microscopic organisms that produce these compounds naturally.

27 Jul 2022

Rensselaer scientists secure $3.5 million grant to develop a low-dose, oral COVID antiviral drug

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute researchers Gaetano Montelione and Christopher Cioffi will use a five-year, $3.5 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, to develop a low-dose, oral COVID antiviral drug that can be administered at home.

27 Jun 2022

New sensor accurately determines the human saliva pH

Chemists at the Ural Federal University have created a sensor for determining the human saliva pH. This is a fluorophore with strong and stable emission, which picks up the smallest fluctuations in the pH(tenths) in biological fluids.

16 Jun 2022

Researchers gain understanding of biosynthetic mechanisms for producing cyanobacterin

Researchers in the groups of Prof. Tobias Gulder from TU Dresden and Prof. Tanja Gulder from Leipzig University have succeeded in understanding the biosynthetic mechanisms for the production of the natural product cyanobacterin, which in Nature is produced in small quantities by the cyanobacteria Scytonema hofmanni.

27 May 2022

Clemson researchers discover a promising therapy for people suffering from toxoplasmosis

Many doctors caution their pregnant patients to avoid cat feces; even the family pet's litter box is off-limits. Now, a group of researchers from Clemson University have discovered a promising therapy for those who suffer from toxoplasmosis, a disease caused by the microscopic protozoa Toxoplasma gondii.

11 May 2022

Groundbreaking chemical technique could reveal new treatments for cancer and other diseases

Leicester researchers have described application of a pioneering chemical technique which could unlock ground-breaking new treatments for cancer and other diseases.

23 Mar 2022

Showcasing STEM Women in Medical Science

Every year, the UN celebrates the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. For 2022, the focus is placed on recognizing the role women and girls play in STEM as beneficiaries and as agents of change.

11 Feb 2022