http://phys.org/chemistry-news/biochemistry/ en-us PhysOrg Team Phys.Org provides the latest news on biochemistry Working with researchers in the US and Germany, Johannes Messinger at Umea University (Sweden) is opening new avenues to understand photosynthesis and create artificial photosynthesis. Using x-ray analysis, they have managed to see the structure of molecules under conditions where photosynthesis can occur, and they have also found that calcium plays a critical role in decomposing water. http://phys.org/news258043471.html Chemistry - Biochemistry 2012-06-04T15:44:40-07:00 A new study led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute suggests that the replication process for DNA—the genetic instructions for living organisms that is composed of four bases (C, G, A and T)—is more open to unnatural letters than had previously been thought. An expanded "DNA alphabet" could carry more information than natural DNA, potentially coding for a much wider range of molecules and enabling a variety of powerful applications, from precise molecular probes and nanomachines to useful new life forms. http://phys.org/news257922313.html Chemistry - Biochemistry 2012-06-03T13:00:11-07:00 An economical and easy-to-use biosensor could reduce the chance of being poisoned by arsenic – a common contaminant of wells in parts of Asia. http://phys.org/news257759387.html Chemistry - Biochemistry 2012-06-01T09:00:02-07:00 On the periodic table of the elements, iron and magnesium are far apart. But new evidence suggests that 3 billion years ago, iron did the chemical work now done by magnesium in helping RNA fold and function properly. http://phys.org/news257702294.html Chemistry - Biochemistry 2012-05-31T17:01:41-07:00 University of Alberta researchers have made breakthrough use of 3-D magnetic resonance technology to map the structure of a common fungus that is potentially deadly for individuals with impaired immune function. The work could pave the way for development of an effective vaccine. http://phys.org/news257687394.html Chemistry - Biochemistry 2012-05-31T12:50:23-07:00 Researchers at Dana-Farber/Children's Hospital Cancer Center have devised a strategy to directly activate a natural "death" protein, triggering the self-destruction of cells. They say the development could represent a new paradigm for designing cancer drugs. http://phys.org/news257686553.html Chemistry - Biochemistry 2012-05-31T12:36:09-07:00 (Phys.org) -- Johns Hopkins scientists have engineered cells that behave like AND and OR Boolean logic gates, producing an output based on one or more unique inputs. This feat, published in the May issue of Nature Chemical Biology, could eventually help researchers create computers that use cells as tiny circuits. http://phys.org/news257673631.html Chemistry - Biochemistry 2012-05-31T09:00:49-07:00 Researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, have developed a novel approach for eradicating drug-resistant bacteria from wounds and skin infections, using light to trigger the controlled release of nitric oxide. The UCSC team developed a photoactive compound that releases nitric oxide when exposed to light, and loaded it into a porous, biocompatible material that could be applied as a sprayable powder. http://phys.org/news257602091.html Chemistry - Biochemistry 2012-05-30T13:20:01-07:00 A new method for rapidly solving the three-dimensional structures of a special group of proteins, known as integral membrane proteins, may speed drug discovery by providing scientists with precise targets for new therapies, according to a paper published May 20 in Nature Methods. http://phys.org/news257589184.html Chemistry - Biochemistry 2012-05-30T09:33:15-07:00 (Phys.org) -- Researchers at the University of Alberta's physics department and the National Institute for Nanotechnology (NINT) are the first to map out the folding pathways of prions, malformed proteins that lead to diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, or "mad cow" disease) in cattle. http://phys.org/news257585604.html Chemistry - Biochemistry 2012-05-30T08:33:37-07:00 Professor Adrian Mulholland and Dr Christopher Woods from Bristol's School of Chemistry, together with colleagues in Thailand, used graphics processing units (GPUs) to simulate the molecular processes that take place when these drugs are used to treat the H1N1-2009 strain of influenza – commonly known as 'swine flu'. http://phys.org/news257516015.html Chemistry - Biochemistry 2012-05-29T13:13:41-07:00 (Phys.org) -- In many biological and pathological processes, glycosidase enzymes attack glycosidic bonds in carbohydrates, glycoproteins, and glycolipids. The ability to modify or block these processes by specific glycosidase inhibitors forms the basis for their potential use in the treatment of viral infections, cancer, and genetic disorders. http://phys.org/news257503338.html Chemistry - Biochemistry 2012-05-29T09:42:45-07:00 Coherent Raman scattering methods have one key advantage over spontaneous Raman microscopy: speed. The (sub-)microsecond pixel dwell times offered by narrowband CRS imaging methods have initiated a new era of chemical imaging applications in biology and biomedicine. http://phys.org/news257503142.html Chemistry - Biochemistry 2012-05-29T09:39:25-07:00 (Phys.org) -- There's nothing like a new pair of eyeglasses to bring fine details into sharp relief. For scientists who study the large molecules of life from proteins to DNA, the equivalent of new lenses have come in the form of an advanced method for analyzing data from X-ray crystallography experiments. http://phys.org/news257078826.html Chemistry - Biochemistry 2012-05-24T14:00:10-07:00 Research into how carbohydrates are converted into energy has led to a surprising discovery with implications for the treatment of a perplexing and potentially fatal neuromuscular disorder and possibly even cancer and heart disease. http://phys.org/news257081281.html Chemistry - Biochemistry 2012-05-24T14:00:01-07:00 A seaweed considered a threat to the healthy growth of coral reefs in Hawaii may possess the ability to produce substances that could one day treat human diseases, a new study led by scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego has revealed. http://phys.org/news257077801.html Chemistry - Biochemistry 2012-05-24T12:00:20-07:00 Numerous biological processes depend on molecules called lariat RNAs (LaRNAs). These lasso-shaped structures form in the cell during RNA splicing. During this process, transcribed RNA strands convert to messenger RNA before undergoing translation into proteins. A way to quickly and efficiently characterize these molecules in living cells is now available, thanks to a method developed by a research team led by Hiroshi Abe of the RIKEN Advanced Science Institute, Wako. The method identifies LaRNAs using molecular pairs called reduction-triggered fluorescent (REFT) probes. When in close proximity to LaRNAs, these probes react and generate a fluorescent signal.  http://phys.org/news257068819.html Chemistry - Biochemistry 2012-05-24T10:30:01-07:00 Scientists are reporting development of a new, higher-yield, two-step, less costly process that may ease supply problems and zigzagging prices for the raw material essential for making the mainstay drug for malaria. That disease sickens 300-500 million people annually and kills more than 1 million. The report on the process, which uses readily available substances and could be easily implemented by drug companies, appears in ACS' journal Organic Process Research & Development. http://phys.org/news256993161.html Chemistry - Biochemistry 2012-05-23T12:10:01-07:00 Human breast milk is the best source of food for infants. University of Georgia researchers have found what may be a new second best—formula made from hazelnut oil. http://phys.org/news256993366.html Chemistry - Biochemistry 2012-05-23T12:02:54-07:00 Biomedical engineers at UC Davis have developed a microfluidic chip to test for latent tuberculosis. They hope the test will be cheaper, faster and more reliable than current testing for the disease. http://phys.org/news256911194.html Chemistry - Biochemistry 2012-05-22T13:13:21-07:00 Castor oil is known primarily as an effective laxative; however, it was also used in ancient times with pregnant women to induce labour. Only now have scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research succeeded in unravelling the mysteries of the action mechanism. A receptor by the name of EP3 on the cells of the intestine and uterus is apparently responsible. This is activated by an ingredient in the oil. http://phys.org/news256830061.html Chemistry - Biochemistry 2012-05-21T15:01:48-07:00 (Medical Xpress) -- A team of scientists has developed a promising new strategy for "reactivating" genes that cause cancer tumors to shrink and die. The researchers hope that their discovery will aid in the development of an innovative anti-cancer drug that effectively targets unhealthy, cancerous tissue without damaging healthy, non-cancerous tissue and vital organs. The research will be published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. http://phys.org/news256808101.html Chemistry - Biochemistry 2012-05-21T08:35:51-07:00 The quantities are very small, but in milk powder and in meat-based baby food, residues of drugs given to livestock were found. Researchers from the University of Almería (Spain) have developed a system to analyse these substances quickly and precisely. http://phys.org/news256555572.html Chemistry - Biochemistry 2012-05-18T10:26:22-07:00 In our everyday life, we use gasoline, diesel, plastics, rubbers, and numerous chemicals that are derived from fossil oil through petrochemical refinery processes. Fossil resources are limited and not sustainable. Our world is facing problems associated with climate change and other environmental problems resulted from lavish consumption of fossil fuels. One solution to address these problems is to use renewable, non-food biomass for the production of chemicals, fuels, and materials through biorefineries. http://phys.org/news256552096.html Chemistry - Biochemistry 2012-05-18T09:28:27-07:00 (Phys.org) -- A team of University of California, San Diego researchers has made new discoveries about a copper-transporting protein in the membranes of human cells that drug-discovery scientists can co-opt for the development of new anti-cancer drugs. http://phys.org/news256461274.html Chemistry - Biochemistry 2012-05-17T08:15:01-07:00 Scientists are reporting development and testing of a new series of drugs that could finally stop the fox tapeworm — which causes a rare but life-threatening disease in humans — dead in its tracks. The report, which appears in ACS' Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, shows that specific organometallic substances that help combat cancer are also the surprising best new hope for a treatment against tapeworm infection. http://phys.org/news256394645.html Chemistry - Biochemistry 2012-05-16T14:00:09-07:00 (Phys.org) -- Lanrong Bi and Nazmiye Yapici are shining new light on the hidden processes within cells. For their groundbreaking research, Bi, an assistant professor of chemistry at Michigan Technological University, and PhD candidate Yapici have received the Bhakta Rath Research Award. http://phys.org/news256382637.html Chemistry - Biochemistry 2012-05-16T10:24:08-07:00 (Phys.org) -- By investigating the existence of an unusual four-stranded structure of DNA in human cells, scientists have opened the door to novel cancer therapeutics and a new era for personalised medicine. http://phys.org/news256379211.html Chemistry - Biochemistry 2012-05-16T09:27:17-07:00 (Phys.org) -- Discoveries made during PhD studies by Victoria University graduate Emma Dangerfield could revolutionise the pharmaceutical industry, by allowing drugs to be made in a more environmentally friendly way. http://phys.org/news256373454.html Chemistry - Biochemistry 2012-05-16T07:51:01-07:00 (Phys.org) -- Using new experimental methods and computational analysis, a team of scientists from the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), led by Lawrence Livermore's Michael Thelen, discovered how certain bacteria can tolerate manmade toxic chemicals used in making biofuels. http://phys.org/news256233172.html Chemistry - Biochemistry 2012-05-14T16:54:52-07:00