https://phys.org/chemistry-news/biochemistry/ en-us The latest news on biochemistry Anticancer prodrugs have attracted significant attention from the medical and scientific communities in recent years because of their potential to improve treatment precision while reducing side effects. These drugs are engineered to remain inactive until they are activated at specific sites or under particular physiological conditions within the body, at which point they release their therapeutic effect. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-gold-catalyzed-chemical-reaction-advances.html Biochemistry Fri, 24 Jul 2026 15:20:03 EDT news704118241 Coffee grounds that usually end up being thrown away can have a second life as a raw material for producing biofuels and other high-value-added products. A study by the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV) has evaluated how to extract oil from coffee grounds efficiently while preserving the rest of the plant material so that it can also be used in other processes. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-spent-coffee-grounds-reveal-route.html Biochemistry Thu, 23 Jul 2026 16:10:01 EDT news704039042 There are few pleasures greater than letting a piece of chocolate melt slowly on your tongue. Indeed, the proximity of chocolate's melting point to our own body temperature is one reason it is so widely appreciated. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-mouth-car-ongoing-scientific-quest.html Biochemistry Thu, 23 Jul 2026 16:00:01 EDT news704028001 Penn Engineers have developed PeptiVerse, an AI-powered platform that predicts key chemical and biological properties of peptides, strings of amino acids whose medical potential has been demonstrated by the success of GLP-1 drugs, widely used weight-loss treatments. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-source-ai-key-peptide-traits.html Biochemistry Tue, 21 Jul 2026 17:30:01 EDT news703867621 Bacteria have spent decades evolving resistance to virtually every antibiotic we have thrown at them. To stay ahead, new drugs must hit targets that existing antibiotics have never touched. A research team at the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) has now developed a series of synthetic drug candidates that do exactly that: By blocking an essential molecular supply system, these molecules cut off the bacteria's supply of essential vitamins and starve them to death. The team published its findings in two studies in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-antibiotic-candidates-starve-resistant-bacteria.html Biochemistry Tue, 21 Jul 2026 16:00:05 EDT news703858081 From ensuring that food remains fresh longer to extending its shelf life for future consumption, food packaging plays an indispensable role in modern society. Conventional food packaging plastics are sturdy and highly effective at keeping out oxygen, one of the main drivers of food spoilage. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-reinventing-food-packaging-safe-sustainable.html Biochemistry Tue, 21 Jul 2026 12:54:24 EDT news703857193 Chemists from Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg have achieved an important research success in the fight against resistant bacteria. The team led by scientist Professor Dr. Dieter Schinzer from the Institute of Chemistry has succeeded in producing key building blocks of the naturally occurring substance Neosorangicin A in the laboratory for the first time. This means it is now possible to develop Neosorangicin A in a targeted manner as a promising reserve antibiotic candidate to combat antibiotic resistance in the future. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-scientists-relay-synthesis-key-blocks.html Biochemistry Sat, 18 Jul 2026 15:00:03 EDT news703420167 Painstakingly woven from the cocoons of silkworms, silk has been valued for more than 4,000 years as a luxury material. More than just beautiful, silk is also lightweight, strong and biocompatible, allowing it to be used for clothing, medical materials and more. However, conventional silk has a glaring weakness—it shrinks and loses its shape after repeated exposure to moisture. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-strong-super-silk.html Biochemistry Fri, 17 Jul 2026 21:20:01 EDT news703497116 A new way of converting stubborn plastic waste into high-value chemicals using only water and oxygen has been developed by an international team of scientists. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-tiny-droplets-stubborn-plastic-valuable.html Biochemistry Wed, 15 Jul 2026 16:00:05 EDT news703340193 As interest in clean hydrogen power grows, so does the need for safe storage and transportation materials. One such material, vanadium, is a leading candidate because it readily absorbs hydrogen and allows it to move through its crystal structure. However, hydrogen displays varying behavior in the presence of vanadium, with the underlying cause remaining unclear. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-secret-hydrogen-quantum-behavior-symmetry.html Biochemistry Wed, 15 Jul 2026 05:00:03 EDT news703173465 Scientists in China have developed a smart coating that could make it easier to remove tritium (a radioactive form of hydrogen) from nuclear power plant wastewater. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-smart-coating-cleanup-nuclear-wastewater.html Biochemistry Tue, 14 Jul 2026 16:20:07 EDT news703257909 A research team has presented a roadmap for developing an "artificial olfactory system" that detects odors like the human nose and analyzes them using artificial intelligence (AI) by leveraging metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). The team systematically organized and reviewed key research trends in electronic nose technology, from MOF material design to sensor implementation and AI-based odor pattern recognition. The research was led by Hyuk-Jun Kwon's in the Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science of Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology. The work is published in the journal Progress in Materials Science. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-ai-powered-electronic-nose-distinguish.html Biochemistry Mon, 13 Jul 2026 16:00:01 EDT news703169645 The molecular machinery that normally builds proteins inside cells has now taken on a new role as a "switch." A research team at POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology) has developed a new 'RNA-based smart gene circuit' platform that can simultaneously read multiple signals inside a cell, make its own decisions and autonomously generate programmed responses. This represents a step beyond simple genetic manipulation toward an era in which cells themselves function as "living computers." https://phys.org/news/2026-07-ribosome-based-gene-circuit-cells.html Biochemistry Sat, 11 Jul 2026 15:00:06 EDT news702647029 A team led by chemist Frank Glorius, a professor at the Institute of Organic Chemistry at the University of Münster, has developed a new light-driven reaction sequence. In this triple catalysis, one reaction step triggers the next like three dominoes in a row, toppling one after the other. The molecular transformations occur sequentially in a single reaction vessel. Such one-pot synthesis is considered an ideal process because it is particularly resource- and energy-efficient. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-visible-triggers-cascade-3d-drug.html Biochemistry Fri, 10 Jul 2026 14:40:02 EDT news702907999 Algae oil is increasingly used as a sustainable source of important nutrients, including polyunsaturated fatty acids that support human health and development. One important example is arachidonic acid, or ARA, which is used in nutrition products such as infant formula and functional foods. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-mild-enzymatic-method-gently-refines.html Biochemistry Thu, 09 Jul 2026 12:00:07 EDT news702816089 Cells sitting side by side in the same tissues are not identical. Each cell carries its own subtly different chemical signature—a hidden individuality that can reveal how diseases take root and spread. Now, researchers from the University of Osaka have developed a technique sensitive enough to capture this cell-by-cell diversity within tissues with unprecedented precision and stability. Their study is published in the journal Analytical Chemistry. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-probe-alzheimer-linked-lipids-cell.html Biochemistry Wed, 08 Jul 2026 21:20:02 EDT news702724793 Among the many modern technologies that shape life today, functional oxide materials are found in almost everything, from advanced electronics to energy-efficient systems. Functional oxides with high-valent metal ions are a significant topic of interest because of their unusual properties, such as superconductivity, magnetism, ferroelectricity and negative thermal expansion (NTE). However, manufacturing these materials often requires harsh chemical conditions that raise safety concerns and produce environmentally harmful byproducts. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-materials-cleaner-production-route-temperatures.html Biochemistry Wed, 08 Jul 2026 16:20:06 EDT news702738145 With careful recipe and process design, non-alcoholic beer can be made more resistant to foodborne pathogens, according to a new study that provides practical guidance on pH, carbonation and hops. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-carbonation-ph-safer-alcoholic-beer.html Biochemistry Tue, 07 Jul 2026 15:00:03 EDT news702647035 Testing how quickly a biodegradable plastic actually breaks down in the environment can take months, sometimes years, of lab work. A new study from the Agricultural University of Athens, offers a faster alternative: a machine-learning tool that predicts biodegradation outcomes for a widely used bioplastic almost instantly. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-machine-fast-biodegradable-plastics-nature.html Biochemistry Tue, 07 Jul 2026 10:40:04 EDT news702627865 Researchers at Kyushu University have developed a new food preservation solution. Using pumpkin peel as a raw material, they synthesized a nanomaterial for food packaging that slows the deterioration of fruit and other produce while reducing transport damage. The findings were published April 30, 2026, in Food Research International. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-pumpkin-food-fresh.html Biochemistry Mon, 06 Jul 2026 20:40:01 EDT news702563399 Researchers at the University of Bayreuth and Forschungszentrum Jülich have demonstrated that specific light-sensitive enzymes—so-called sensor histidine kinases (SHKs)—transmit their signal through a light-controlled change in asymmetry. With their new study, the researchers contribute to a better understanding of a central mechanism of bacterial signal processing. This may help develop new tools for biomedicine or biotechnology. The findings are reported in the journal Science Advances. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-flips-bacterial-enzyme.html Biochemistry Thu, 02 Jul 2026 16:00:01 EDT news702217862 Researchers at The University of Manchester and Hebei University of Technology have identified how a new class of catalyst can break down lignin into useful chemical building blocks, offering a more sustainable route to replace fossil-based materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-atom-catalyst-lignin-valuable-chemicals.html Biochemistry Wed, 01 Jul 2026 13:40:07 EDT news702125161 Certain medicines contain per- and polyfluorinated alkyl compounds, known as PFAS, which are causing increasing environmental harm because of their long-lasting effects. A study published in Sustainable Chemistry and Pharmacy by the University of Freiburg, commissioned by the German Environment Agency, shows that many PFAS-based active ingredients used in medicines can be replaced by alternative active ingredients. Based on the report's findings, doctors will in the future be able to give preference to prescribing PFAS-free medicines, where this is appropriate from a therapeutic point of view. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-pfas-medicines-alternatives.html Biochemistry Tue, 30 Jun 2026 14:40:07 EDT news702036842 Sialic acid is a natural sugar building block found on the surfaces of our cells. It acts as a protective and recognition molecule and plays a central role in the development of the nervous system. Following the modular principle, individual components can be swapped for new building blocks, thereby altering the properties of the sugar. Researchers at Hannover Medical School (MHH) have investigated how these building blocks reach their target. These fundamental findings are also significant because certain influenza and coronavirus strains specifically use modified sialic acids as receptors to enter host cells. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-sugar-block-viral.html Biochemistry Tue, 30 Jun 2026 14:20:05 EDT news702036482 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