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.
Using optical tweezers, researchers at National Taiwan University have observed individual binding events in real time, offering new insights into the molecular regulation of homologous recombination.
Biotechnology
Sep 8, 2025
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When starved of oxygen during a heart attack or stroke, cells unleash a flurry of emergency measures to protect themselves and the body. For decades, scientists have observed that the body's production of a "three-tailed" ...
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 8, 2025
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75
Most well-studied proteins are folded, meaning they have a defined three-dimensional shape that helps determine each protein's specific function. But as the tools of science have improved, so has the understanding that many ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Sep 4, 2025
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Neural networks are computing systems designed to mimic both the structure and function of the human brain. Caltech researchers have been developing a neural network made out of strands of DNA instead of electronic parts ...
Biotechnology
Sep 3, 2025
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113
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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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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51
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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