Why synonymous mutations are not always silent

New modeling shows how synonymous mutations—those that change the DNA sequence of a gene but not the sequence of the encoded protein—can still impact protein production and function. A team of researchers led by Penn ...

New algorithm uncovers secrets of cell factories

Drug molecules and biofuels can be made to order by living cell factories, where biological enzymes do the job. Now, researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have developed a computer model that can predict how fast ...

How chemists are building molecular assembly lines

Four huge robot arms surround the gleaming metal shell of what will soon be a top-of-the-range automobile. They jerk into life, attaching the bonnet, the wing mirrors, and other panels. It's the kind of precision operation ...

Listening in to how proteins talk and learning their language

Synthetic biologists have taken evolution of proteins into their own hands by changing some that occur in nature or even by synthesizing them from scratch. Such engineered proteins are used as highly efficacious drugs, components ...

Forensic proteomics, a new tool for crime labs and anthropology

DNA evidence has revolutionized forensic science in the past few years, cracking open cold cases and bringing both convictions and exonerations. The same techniques help archaeologists and anthropologists studying remains ...

page 1 from 2