When threatened, the marine parchment tube worm secretes a sticky slime that emits a unique long-lasting blue light. New research into how the worm creates and sustains this light suggests that the process is self-powered.
Biochemistry
Apr 27, 2020
0
9
Purdue University scientists Natalia Dudareva and Joseph Lynch have been searching for a way to increase a plant's production of phenylalanine, a compound important for plant survival and used by humans in flavors, fragrances, ...
Biochemistry
Apr 14, 2020
0
210
Mineral catalysts found in deep-sea vents convert CO2 and H2 to biomolecules, showing striking parallels to known biological pathways.
Evolution
Mar 2, 2020
3
157
Glycosylation—the attachment of sugars to proteins—plays a critical role in both cellular function and in the development of therapeutics, like vaccines.
Cell & Microbiology
Nov 27, 2019
0
57
By analyzing how metabolic enzymes are built and organized, researchers have reconstructed the evolutionary history of metabolism. Their study shows how metabolic networks—which drive every cellular process from protein ...
Cell & Microbiology
Oct 28, 2019
0
23
Microbes are well-known among biologists as master engineers of useful small molecules, and there are many tricks of their trade. When researchers at the University of Illinois took a closer look at how a known microbe makes ...
Biochemistry
Sep 5, 2019
0
60
How do cells generate and use energy? This question might seem simple, but the answer is far from simple. Furthermore, knowing how microbial cell factories consume energy and how proteins are allocated to do so is crucial ...
Cell & Microbiology
Aug 23, 2019
0
271
Scientists have found that multiple hummingbird species have adapted to life at high altitudes in the Andes through distinct genetic mutations that nonetheless affect the same biochemical pathways. This suggests that while ...
Evolution
Jul 1, 2019
0
126
From medicine to fragrances, nature provides many of the key chemical compounds needed in an endless number of pharmaceuticals and consumer products. Now, a cutting-edge technique engineered by researchers at University of ...
Biotechnology
Jun 11, 2019
1
92
Cells are incredibly adept at creating complex molecules, like therapeutics, and can do so much better than many of our best factories.
Biochemistry
Jun 6, 2019
0
131
