Fuzzy molecular threesome is basis of gene expression

Specific nuclear proteins act as a glue to pack genetic material in an absurdly small space in the human body. Proteins "gluing" DNA are called linker histones, and hold their secret in their electric charge. They are strongly ...

Process improves strength, color of feather-based fibers

Domesticated chickens in the United States alone produce more than 2 billion pounds of feathers annually. Those feathers have long been considered a waste product, especially when contaminated with blood, feces or bacteria ...

Better in pairs: Proteins can help one another bind to DNA

Scientists from Tokyo Metropolitan University have uncovered a unique mechanism where two transcription factors stabilize each other's binding to DNA in fission yeast. They found that Atf1 and Rst2 help each other stably ...

The pathway for producing ethylene

New research lays out the chemical steps used by a naturally occurring enzyme to convert a common chemical compound into ethylene—a plant hormone important for fruit ripening and an industrial chemical used in the production ...

Enzyme action movie shows how nature makes penicillins

Scientists who specialize in studying the atom-by-atom choreography of enzymes have revealed new insights into the function of isopenicillin N synthase, an enzyme needed to produce some of the world's most critical antibiotics.

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