https://phys.org/chemistry-news/biochemistry/ en-us The latest news on biochemistry Pioneering research has developed a new way of creating carbohydrate-based medicines that could ultimately replace costly drugs for common health conditions, using two cheap basic ingredients—table sugar and vinegar. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-table-sugar-cheaper-quicker-key.html Biochemistry Mon, 29 Jun 2026 17:00:09 EDT news701956748 Antibiotic resistance is becoming an accelerating crisis because of the overuse and misuse of antibiotics over many years. The problem is exacerbated when antibiotics wipe out susceptible bacteria but leave resistant bacteria behind to multiply, further spreading resistance. There is an ongoing search for new treatments to fight resistant bacteria, and now researchers may have found a way to successfully treat at least one type of resistant bacteria. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-compound-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria-defense.html Biochemistry Mon, 29 Jun 2026 12:20:06 EDT news701953801 Researchers at the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation have developed an injectable hydrogel, a water-based gel material, made from silk proteins and a plant-derived compound. In laboratory tests, the material promoted complete wound closure within 72 hours, suggesting a potential new approach to minimally invasive soft tissue repair. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-silk-kudzu-hydrogel-wound-closure.html Biochemistry Sun, 28 Jun 2026 15:00:01 EDT news701361407 Enzymes are regarded as the key to sustainable chemistry. Despite major advances in protein design, creating artificial enzymes from scratch has so far remained a grand challenge. A research team at the University of Bayreuth, in collaboration with scientists from the University of Ottawa, has now demonstrated how nonfunctional protein scaffolds can be transformed into highly active enzymes. The researchers report their findings in Nature Chemical Biology. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-workflow-nonfunctional-protein-scaffolds-enzymes.html Biochemistry Sat, 27 Jun 2026 12:00:01 EDT news701682571 A new collaborative study reports the discovery and application of a novel therapeutic strategy to selectively target EGFR and other kinases with controlled release in tumor microenvironments to improve therapeutic efficacy, with promising results. The research is published in Bioorganic Chemistry. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-prodrug-localized-drug-delivery-platform.html Biochemistry Thu, 25 Jun 2026 09:40:04 EDT news701595001 Aniline can now be transformed into pyridine without adding any catalysts, oxidants or toxic reagents. In a recent study published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, researchers achieved skeletal editing, involving the reorganization of the carbon-nitrogen bonds within an aromatic ring, by turning an aqueous solution of aniline into a mist of microdroplets. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-tiny-droplets-transmutate-aniline-pyridine.html Biochemistry Thu, 25 Jun 2026 09:20:09 EDT news701593618 Researchers at the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT/UCC) in Dresden, including Oliver Bruns and Dr. Bernardo Arús, are participating in an international study that has, for the first time, developed novel proteins for near-infrared (NIR) and short-wave infrared imaging (SWIR). The research was conducted in collaboration with an international team that included chemistry Nobel laureate David Baker, who was honored in 2024 for his work on computational protein design. The study, with shared first authorship, was recently published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-proteins-infrared-swir-deeper-tissue.html Biochemistry Wed, 24 Jun 2026 22:40:01 EDT news701531781 Sugars are not just a source of energy—they also play a crucial role in how cells communicate, how proteins interact and how materials behave in medicine and industry. But studying these processes is challenging because sugar molecules are structurally complex and difficult to control. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-scientists-tunable-biomolecules-probe-sugars.html Biochemistry Wed, 24 Jun 2026 15:40:03 EDT news701524741 When many of us think about how drugs work in the body, we may first think about how a drug gets into the body, such as a pill versus an injection. In the Gellman Group at the UW–Madison Department of Chemistry, researchers are instead thinking about how a drug behaves after it reaches its target, which is critical for effective drug performance. The cells in our bodies must receive and respond to information from their environment for healthy function, and when information flow is disrupted, illness can result. Most of the information is contained in molecules that engage with receptor proteins on cell surfaces. Many medicines work by modifying information transfer at specific receptor proteins. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-drug-peptides-defy-receptors-full.html Biochemistry Tue, 23 Jun 2026 18:40:01 EDT news701446743 Developing new medicines can require thousands of chemistry experiments to identify the right recipe for a safe, effective and ideally affordable drug. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ai-drug-discovery.html Biochemistry Mon, 22 Jun 2026 17:40:03 EDT news701358901 The main reason for sealing wine bottles with a cork is to protect the liquid from oxygen. However, it is not an impermeable barrier, and a small amount of air leaks in, which is not always entirely bad news. The gas helps the wine mature and develop a more complex flavor. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-oxygen-corked-wine-bottle.html Biochemistry Mon, 22 Jun 2026 10:40:06 EDT news701342311 Aptamers are short DNA or RNA strands that can recognize and bind to a specific target molecule with high precision. Similar to antibodies, they can be used to detect these molecules or modulate their activity. Unlike antibodies, they are much more stable, can be produced synthetically and can be chemically modified to achieve the desired properties. As a result, they can offer capabilities that cannot be achieved with antibodies. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-faster-aptamer-screening-synthetic-alternatives.html Biochemistry Sat, 20 Jun 2026 12:00:01 EDT news701014712 A chance discovery at Nagoya University in Japan has shown that a well-known brain enzyme has a hidden ability: It builds a sugar chain on itself, becomes secreted from the cell and deactivates, then switches on outside the cell once the chain is removed. The finding, published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, overturns a decades-old assumption about how polysialic acid, a sugar chain critical for brain development and function, is produced and shows a new way an enzyme can regulate its own activity. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-brain-enzyme-caught-unexpected-polysialic.html Biochemistry Thu, 18 Jun 2026 21:40:01 EDT news701017871 Compostable plastics could be part of a solution to the world's plastic waste problem. But currently these materials need industrial composting facilities to break down. In a step toward making a home-compostable plastic, researchers reporting in ACS Central Science have augmented polylactide (PLA)—a widely used biobased and compostable polymer—with a small amount of an additive. Tests show it helps the material degrade substantially faster without sacrificing critical qualities like strength or transparency. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-additive-faster-bioplastic-biodegradation-transparency.html Biochemistry Thu, 18 Jun 2026 16:10:01 EDT news701016961 Indian millets are a staple for the country's population of more than a billion. They are also gaining global popularity, with rising exports and a reputation as a climate-resilient crop. Now, new research shows that their nutritional value includes a rich diversity of lipids, including a previously undetected group that may offer potential health benefits. The research is published in the journal Food Chemistry. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-indian-millets-distinct-lipid-fingerprints.html Biochemistry Tue, 16 Jun 2026 22:20:01 EDT news700847461 Our food and our bodies are full of tiny protein fragments called peptides. These small chains of amino acids act as biological messengers, influencing processes ranging from sensory perception to physiological functions. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-method-enables-accurate-sequencing-short.html Biochemistry Tue, 16 Jun 2026 20:00:07 EDT news700834139 Researchers at the University of Notre Dame and collaborators have discovered a key process in how the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria attaches to the cell wall, advancing the understanding of how these bacteria frequently develop resistance to antibiotics. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-bacteria-reveal-protein-antibiotic-resistant.html Biochemistry Mon, 15 Jun 2026 19:20:04 EDT news700759981 Advances in structural biology have allowed scientists to determine molecular structures with atomic-level detail, sometimes yielding static snapshots that do not reflect the dynamism of proteins. However, these motions are often crucial for biological function. Researchers from the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), together with international collaborators, have now combined several methods to shed light on how proteins "breathe" and how some experimental techniques freeze their motion. The findings—which could boost protein design approaches and improve AI-based structural prediction tools—are published in Nature Chemistry. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-frozen-snapshots-protein-view-combined.html Biochemistry Mon, 15 Jun 2026 18:20:08 EDT news700759022 Rare earth elements (REEs) are essential for everyday technologies such as smartphones, LED lights, wind turbines and many medical applications. At the same time, supply chains are under pressure because of the geographic concentration of production, and electronic waste is growing worldwide. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-hybrid-materials-rare-earths-harsh.html Biochemistry Mon, 15 Jun 2026 14:20:06 EDT news700739925 For more than a century, chemists have been building complex molecules step by step—bond by bond, atom by atom. But what if, instead of painstakingly reassembling molecules, they could be directly "rewritten"? This is exactly what a research team led by organic chemist Nuno Maulide from the University of Vienna has now achieved. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-chemists-reveal-alkyl-swap-rewrites.html Biochemistry Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:40:04 EDT news700735977 Steel and metal production are among the largest contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for approximately 10% of global CO2 emissions. At the same time, modern technology relies on tailored steels and metals for applications in fields such as mobility, energy, infrastructure, safety and medicine. Hydrogen-based metal production offers a promising CO2-free alternative and goes even further by integrating reduction, alloying and microstructure design into a single production step. However, hydrogen-based metal production still faces a number of challenges on its path to widespread adoption, one of which is the relatively slow reduction kinetics of metal ores at temperatures below 800°C (1,472°F). https://phys.org/news/2026-06-hydrogen-based-steelmaking-2x-boost.html Biochemistry Sun, 14 Jun 2026 16:00:01 EDT news700414341 Most people have seen nylon listed as a material on their clothing tags, but nylon is used in an array of other products, too, including automotive parts, wire insulation and medical supplies. Unfortunately, one of the building blocks of nylon, adipic acid, is produced from petroleum-derived benzene through energy-intensive processes and has a rather high carbon footprint. However, there may be a better way to produce this ubiquitous polymer. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-years-overlooked-material-poised-reshape.html Biochemistry Sun, 14 Jun 2026 12:40:01 EDT news700402907 Early biological systems likely relied on RNA molecules to copy themselves and drive simple chemical reactions. Any system that could generate guanosine-triphosphate (GTP)—which is necessary for RNA synthesis—from prebiotic chemicals would gain a crucial advantage toward self-replication. Now, researchers from the University of California San Diego report a version of an RNA enzyme (ribozyme) that makes GTP synthesis more efficient than its predecessor. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-powered-earth-earliest-life.html Biochemistry Sun, 14 Jun 2026 09:00:04 EDT news700318503 Researchers at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have achieved two major breakthroughs in interfacial polymerization, a key technique for preparing advanced functional materials. By integrating quantum mechanics with machine learning, the team has elucidated the mechanism by which water molecules facilitate reactions at the molecular level. At the same time, it has transformed microcapsule design from a traditional trial-and-error approach into a predictive science. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-molecule-faster-interfacial-polymerization-lowering.html Biochemistry Sat, 13 Jun 2026 11:30:01 EDT news700413772 Researchers have developed a solar-driven catalyst material that harnesses the energy of a single photon to reduce carbon dioxide and oxidize organic waste at the same time, producing valuable chemicals in both reactions. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-photon-reactions-catalyst-biowaste-simultaneously.html Biochemistry Fri, 12 Jun 2026 05:00:03 EDT news700385161 Researchers at IMDEA Materials Institute and the Institute of Polymer Science and Technology (ICTP-CSIC) have developed an innovative biodegradable multilayer film capable of protecting and controlling the release of anthocyanins inside the body. Published in the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, this innovation opens the door to more effective functional foods and supplements for intestinal health. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-pectin-chitosan-bioactive-compounds-foods.html Biochemistry Tue, 09 Jun 2026 16:00:05 EDT news700231917 Plants are undeniably one of nature's most promising sources of new medicines, with monoterpenoid indole alkaloids (MIAs) being a great example. Some intricate compounds are built from multiple-linked chemical units that form highly complex three-dimensional structures. Because of their size and shape, scientists believe such oligomeric MIAs may be able to interfere with specific protein–protein interactions inside cells—a biological target that conventional small-molecule drugs often struggle to reach. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-chemists-total-synthesis-rare-alkaloid.html Biochemistry Mon, 08 Jun 2026 18:30:03 EDT news700157041 A research team has developed a novel organocatalysis method based on a silylium Lewis acid. This technology employs an ion-pair catalyst combining a diethylsilylium ion with a weakly coordinating anion, enabling the direct installation of sulfonamide groups into functionalized ketone compounds, including β-ketoesters, which had previously been difficult to react using conventional catalytic methods. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-secondary-silylium-ion-pot-ketone.html Biochemistry Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:00:03 EDT news700132151 For many of us, a warm cup of coffee is how we start our day. For Texas A&M Health researchers, it may also offer a new way to control engineered cells in future medicines. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ai-brews-caffeine-powered-safety.html Biochemistry Fri, 05 Jun 2026 12:40:02 EDT news699880081 A pilot study has developed a new sensory evaluation method that links the chemical structures of polyphenols with their distinct taste properties. Using trained human panelists, researchers showed that different polyphenols produce unique sensory effects, including bitterness, acidity, and astringency. The findings may help improve functional food design and food processing technologies while advancing understanding of how taste-related sensory pathways contribute to digestion, metabolism, and health-related responses. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-polyphenol-reveal-tea-cocoa-fruit.html Biochemistry Thu, 04 Jun 2026 20:00:03 EDT news699805681