Biochemistry

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Scientists cast new light on function of long-mysterious PCSK9 mutation

High levels of low-density lipoproteins, parcels of lipids and protein that carry cholesterol, are a leading risk factor for heart disease. Many cholesterol medications lower LDL, some of them by targeting the protein PCSK9. In the January issue of the Journal of Lipid Research, scientists at the University of California, San Francisco, report on an investigation into why experiments on PCSK9 give different results in a test tube and in liver cells.

2 Jan 2019

Using Assay Kits and Dyes to Advance Cell Biology Research

In this interview, Richard Delle Bovi highlights live cell ability of the CELLESTIAL® analysis kit from Enzo Life Sciences and its applications in cell biology.

From Enzo Life Sciences, Inc. 2 Jan 2019

New research could help restore youthful characteristics

If only we could keep our bodies young, healthy and energetic, even as we attain the wisdom of our years. New research at the Weizmann Institute of Science suggests this dream could be at least partly obtainable in the future.

2 Jan 2019

Biologists discover how protein clumps damage cells in Parkinson's disease

Biologists studying Parkinson's disease have long hoped to solve the mystery of the telltale "clumps." Scientists want to know how clumps of misfolded proteins damage brain cells and contribute to the disease.

21 Dec 2018

Study uncovers initial folding mechanism of membrane proteins, key in design of new drugs

An international team coordinated by the Interdisciplinary Research Structure in Biotechnology and Biomedicine of the University of Valencia has proved how the folding of membrane proteins begins before they are inserted into biological membranes, a fact that has been central to the biochemical research for decades.

19 Dec 2018

Developing the Next Generation of Water-soluble DREADDs

An interview with James Flanaghan, discussing the uses of DREADDs in neurobiological research and the advantages of water-soluble ligands.

From Hello Bio 19 Dec 2018

Novel insight on inflammatory regulation could pave way for effective pain therapies

A novel way in which the inflammatory response to pain is regulated has been described in the open-access journal eLife.

19 Dec 2018

New compound blocks genetic cause of familial ALS and frontotemporal dementia

Since the ice bucket challenge went viral in 2014, raising awareness and funding for ALS research, scientists have learned much about a disease that disconnects muscles from nerves, leading to muscle atrophy and eventual death. Their ultimate goal is to create medications capable of stopping ALS in its tracks.

18 Dec 2018

Novel sunlight-powered microtube pump transports water droplets over long distances

Driven by natural or artificial sunlight, a novel “microtube pump” transports water droplets over long distances. As reported by Chinese researchers in the Journal Angewandte Chemie, the pump consists of a tube whose properties can be changed asymmetrically through irradiation.

18 Dec 2018

Researchers propose new model to explain how neural networks communicate

The brain is organized into a network of specialized networks of nerve cells. For such a brain architecture to function, these specialized networks - each located in a different brain area - need to be able to communicate with each other.

17 Dec 2018

New method to visualize small-molecule interactions inside cells

Like people in a large company, proteins in cells constantly interact with each other to perform various jobs. To develop new disease therapies, researchers are trying to control these interactions with small-molecule drugs that cause specific proteins to associate more or less with their "coworkers."

13 Dec 2018

Researchers develop new method to produce natural sweetener

A research group from Oulu University has developed a method capable of producing the natural sweetener brazzein. Production of brazzein as a good tasting sweetener has long been in development but until now, no solution for commercial production has been found.

12 Dec 2018

IONTAS founder and pioneer in phage display technology attends Nobel Prize Award Ceremony

Dr. John McCafferty celebrates the success of phage display technology with Nobel Prize in Chemistry Laureates.

From FairJourney Biologics 12 Dec 2018

Researchers use new technique to probe hydrogen bonds

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have used nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy to probe the hydrogen bonds that modulate the chemical reactivity of enzymes, catalysts and biomimetic complexes.

10 Dec 2018

Insights into protein-protein interactions and methods for designing small molecule inhibitors

Proteins are polymers of amino acids that are linked by peptide bonds and they are one of the major classes of bio-molecules existing in a living organism. Proteins are involved in various cellular functions and events like cell signaling, cell adhesion, metabolic reactions, in the generation of immune response and many more.

10 Dec 2018

New study solves longstanding mystery in innate immunity

UT Southwestern biochemist and Breakthrough Prize winner Dr. Zhijian "James" Chen's newest study answers a long-standing question in the field of innate immunity.

29 Nov 2018

Scientists develop new technique for identifying small molecules

A UCLA-led team of scientists has developed a new technique that will enable researchers to easily and quickly determine the structures of organic molecules using very small samples.

28 Nov 2018

Antibiotic could protect against age-related brain diseases

An antibiotic, minocycline, can increase the lifespan of roundworms by preventing the build-up of proteins during aging, a study in the open-access journal eLife reports.

28 Nov 2018

Study uncovers new chemical reaction key to cataract formation

Researchers working to understand the biochemistry of cataract formation have made a surprising finding: A protein that was long believed to be inert actually has an important chemical function that protects the lens of the eye from cataract formation.

28 Nov 2018

Scientists pinpoint protein that plays key role in synovial sarcoma tumors

Researchers have pinpointed a protein that plays a key role in a type of rare cancer often leading to tumours around joints and tendons, according to new findings in eLife.

27 Nov 2018