Biomolecules, as physical systems, are distinct molecular entities synthesized or utilized by living organisms that exhibit specific structural, thermodynamic, and dynamical properties enabling biological function. They include nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and diverse metabolites, each characterized by defined covalent connectivity, three-dimensional conformations, and interaction potentials with solvents, ions, and other biomolecules. Their behavior is governed by quantum-mechanical bonding, classical electrostatics, and statistical thermodynamics, leading to emergent phenomena such as self-assembly, allostery, enzyme catalysis, and molecular recognition. In physical systems research, biomolecules are studied through techniques like spectroscopy, crystallography, cryo-EM, and molecular simulations to elucidate structure–function relationships and energy landscapes.
Everybody makes mistakes. Biology is no different. However, living organisms have certain error-correction mechanisms that enable their biomolecules to assemble and function despite the defective slough that is a natural ...
General Physics
Sep 2, 2025
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DNA aptamers are powerful molecular tools in biosensing, bioimaging and therapeutics. However, a limited understanding of their tertiary structures and binding mechanisms hinders their further optimizations and applications.
Biotechnology
Aug 26, 2025
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In the ERC project HelixMold, a team from TU Graz developed a method for the computer-based design of artificial proteins, with a focus on custom biocatalysts for pharmaceutical applications or the degradation of biopolymers.
Biotechnology
Aug 7, 2025
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34
In a study published in the Gold Bulletin journal by a group of researchers from the Center for Applied Physics and Advanced Technology (CFATA) and National School of Higher Education (ENES), Leon, both from the National ...
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. ...
Bio & Medicine
Aug 1, 2025
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61
Apart from carrying the information to encode proteins in, RNA molecules can adopt intricate 2D and 3D structures. Specifically, the same RNA molecule can switch between ON and OFF structures, modulating the ability of ribosomes ...
Biotechnology
Jul 25, 2025
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46
Proteins are life's molecular workhorses, doing everything from turning sunlight into food to fighting viruses. They are built from 20 different types of amino acid molecules, so even a small protein made of 60 amino acids ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Jul 24, 2025
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199
The natural protein universe is vast, and yet, going beyond and designing new proteins not observed in nature can yield new functions and can solve problems in medicine or materials science. The past few years have marked ...
Biotechnology
Jul 23, 2025
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19
An international team led by Einstein Professor Cecilia Clementi in the Department of Physics at Freie Universität Berlin has introduced CGSchNet, a machine-learned coarse-grained (CG) model that can accurately and efficiently ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Jul 18, 2025
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44
Amino acids play a fundamental role in regulating how cells respond to drugs. These molecules, which form proteins, act like bricks that communicate with each other within a structure.
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 16, 2025
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