Biochemistry

RSS

AlphaFold3 predicts bitter taste receptor structures with greater accuracy

Receptor proteins, expressed on the cell surface or within the cell, bind to different signaling molecules, known as ligands, initiating cellular responses.

16 Sep 2025

Novel vitamin K analogs show promise for reversing neurodegenerative diseases

Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's disease are characterized by the progressive loss of neurons.

13 Sep 2025

Scientists uncover how amino acids stabilize proteins in solution

For decades, amino acids have been added to medical formulations like insulin as stabilizers: these small molecules keep proteins (i.e. larger particles) from interacting in undesirable ways. And for decades, scientists have known that this works – but not why.

13 Sep 2025

Green tea extract reduces weight and improves glucose control in obese mice

Green tea is an ancient beverage recognized for its medicinal and antioxidant properties. It has been widely studied for its beneficial effects on metabolic diseases, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes.

10 Sep 2025

New insights into how breast milk supports baby’s internal clock

Breast milk is the first 'super food' for many babies. Full of vitamins, minerals, and other bioactive compounds, it helps build the young immune system and is widely considered the optimal source of infant nutrition.

5 Sep 2025

Research reveals how neutrophils orchestrate the mobilization of zinc to fight microbes

A research team from Umeå University, Sweden, in collaboration with Ghent University, Belgium, has made a groundbreaking discovery about how the body's first immune defense, neutrophils, orchestrate the mobilization of zinc to fight microbes.

5 Sep 2025

New reaction approach expands possibilities for drug discovery building blocks

A new approach to an established reaction boosts the ability to synthesize vinylic ethers - key building blocks for many molecules important to human health.

28 Aug 2025

Redefining peptide synthesis with Vapourtec

Vapourtec's Peptide-Builder, a fully automated, high-throughput benchtop peptide synthesizer, has been designed to redefine solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS). Compact, efficient and intuitive, it brings a new level of simplicity and performance to peptide synthesis.

27 Aug 2025

New method uncovers how extracellular vesicles impact immune response in cancer

Certain types of biochemical processes can impair the immune system's ability to recognize and kill cancer cells. Purdue University's W. Andy Tao and his associates have developed a new way to study these processes.

26 Aug 2025

Indole chemistry breakthrough opens doors for more effective drug synthesis

Indole, a molecule made up of a six-membered benzene ring fused to a five-membered ring containing nitrogen, forms the core structure of many biologically active compounds.

25 Aug 2025

New method enables comprehensive analysis of metabolites in biological samples

Researchers from the McCullagh Group in Oxford University's Department of Chemistry have published an innovative method in Nature Protocols today (22 August) that provides comprehensive analysis of metabolites found in cells, tissues and biofluids.

22 Aug 2025

Study shows promising anti-diabetic potential of coffee's functional components

Three of the compounds demonstrated significant inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase, a key enzyme in carbohydrate digestion. The findings could pave the way for new functional food ingredients targeting type 2 diabetes.

18 Aug 2025

Reengineered enzyme enables precise detection of cell surface glycans

Sugars known as glycans form dense envelopes around cells. But they're often ignored in biological investigations because, unlike DNA, proteins and other cellular components, tools to study them are lacking.

14 Aug 2025

Study: Lignin shows strong antiviral and antibacterial properties

Research from the Nanoscience Center of the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, has revealed that lignin, a polyphenol, important for plant structure, has antimicrobial activity against viruses and bacteria.

12 Aug 2025

Researchers develop precise tool to identify omega positions in lipids

Omega-3 fatty acids are known to be an essential part of a healthy diet. As humans cannot produce them, they have to be consumed in sufficient amounts. However, omega-6, -7, -9, and -10 fatty acids also play important roles in the metabolism of fats.

11 Aug 2025

Targeting lactate metabolism offers new avenues for cancer treatment

Lactic acid (LA) has transitioned from being perceived as a mere glycolytic waste product to a pivotal regulator of tumor-immune crosstalk.

5 Aug 2025

Study offers a promising new approach to stabilizing biomolecules

A new study from researchers at the Advanced Science Research Center at the CUNY Graduate Center (CUNY ASRC) reveals that extremely simple peptides can mimic a biological process that protects sensitive proteins from environmental stress.

5 Aug 2025

Subtle genetic shifts in brain enzyme offer clues to human evolution

The evolutionary success of our species may have hinged on minute changes to our brain biochemistry after we diverged from the lineage leading to Neanderthals and Denisovans about half a million years ago.

5 Aug 2025

Psychedelic and non-hallucinogenic drugs promote neuroplasticity through shared pathways

Understanding exactly how psychedelics promote new connections in the brain is critical to developing targeted, non-hallucinogenic therapeutics that can treat neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases.

4 Aug 2025

Unlocking the power of stereochemistry to improve mRNA drug delivery

A team from the Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Hokkaido University, and Osaka University has discovered that subtle differences in molecular structure can have a major impact on the performance of mRNA-based drugs.

1 Aug 2025