Mapping electric fields to help unravel how enzymes work

Every moment in our bodies' cells, countless activities vital to life occur thanks to enzymes. These special proteins act as catalysts by accelerating the pace and improving the selectivity of chemical reactions without undergoing ...

A more concise way to synthesize tetrodotoxin

A small international team of researchers has developed a way to synthesize tetrodotoxin (TTX) using far fewer steps than prior methods. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes their process and ...

Working to discover new treatments for tuberculosis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis, remains the leading cause of infectious disease worldwide, affecting approximately a quarter of the globe's population. Treatment of infections is problematic ...

Enzyme in human salivary microbes decomposes PET-based plastics

Human saliva may contain an enzyme which can decompose the plastic polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Researchers found the promising enzyme, a hydrolase, in a database containing human metagenome samples. As they report in ...

Decoding a key part of the cell, atom by atom

Whatever you are doing, whether it is driving a car, going for a jog, or even at your laziest, eating chips and watching TV on the couch, there is an entire suite of molecular machinery inside each of your cells hard at work. ...

Molecules found in mucus can thwart fungal infection

Candida albicans is a yeast that often lives in the human digestive tract and mouth, as well as urinary and reproductive organs. Usually, it doesn't cause disease in its host, but under certain conditions, it can switch to ...

Tracking chirality in real time

Chiral molecules exist in two forms, called enantiomers, which are mirror images of each other and non-superimposable—much like a pair of hands. While they share most chemical and physical properties, enantiomers can have ...

Self-propelled, endlessly programmable artificial cilia

For years, scientists have been attempting to engineer tiny, artificial cilia for miniature robotic systems that can perform complex motions, including bending, twisting, and reversing. Building these smaller-than-a-human-hair ...

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