Peptides are becoming increasingly of interest as potential therapeutics, however, often they require chemical modifications. As peptides are polymers made up of repeating units of amino acids; how can we selectively modify one site over another?
Category: Research Bites
Fast reactions by ribonucleotides might be a key to the origin of life on Earth
If RNA is essential for life to develop, how could it emerge from messy chemical mixtures on early Earth?
If you can’t melt it, cleave it: a path to recyclable thermoset plastics
Thermosets are a class of plastics that have been traditionally difficult to recycle. This new method to design and degrade thermosets may reduce plastic pollution.
Organic Synthesis With A Side Of Salt
The addition of common table salt can transform the workings of a complex organic chemistry reaction.
New Technology to Control Living Therapeutics with Drugs
Genetically-engineered cell therapies are poised to become some of the most potent weapons in our arsenal against cancer and immunological diseases. However, significant toxicity is sometimes associated with these therapies due to uncontrolled proliferation and activation of these cells. To address this, Jan and colleagues developed a chemical strategy whereby an FDA-approved drug could be used to control the activity of these cells, opening the door for a new generation of safer and more controllable cell-based therapies.
Antibiotics in our food?
Antibiotics are all something we have all taken at one point or another – but how many of us wonder about what happens to those antibiotics next? When we stop and think about it, we might start to realise how our actions are unintentionally impacting the environment around us.
How God views Chemistry is ultra cool!
The world which we perceive is governed by the laws of classical mechanics. Whereas when we bring down the temperature conditions of a reaction to the ultracold regime, we start appreciating the reactions’ true nature.
Saliva enzyme protects ticks against human skin bacteria
Recently discovered tick enzyme can attack human skin bacteria, protecting ticks while they feed from human blood.
Discovery of an oxygen-independent method for producing plasmalogens
How gut microbes produce lipid plasmalogens
Environmentally Safe Pesticides Made from Copper and Paper-Making Waste Products
Copper concentration in pesticides can be decreased by combining copper with lignin, a waste product from paper manufacturing.
A Bright New Method to Survey RNA-Small Molecule Interactions
With a growing interest in the field of RNA-targeted therapeutics, robust platforms to study RNA small-molecule interactions are needed. Read about the latest endeavor here!
Pathogenic E. coli Can Survive Stomach Acid…For Now
Infected cattle can transmit E. coli to humans through contaminated ground beef, but scientists are looking for a solution.
Harnessing bacteria to become royalty
Engineering bacteria to make the dye ‘royal purple’
Science of Soot
A new look on the chemistry occurring inside a flame!
Hitting a Moving Target: Searching for Weak Points in the Glycan Shield of HIV
Primary Source Info: Title: Visualization of the HIV-1 Env Glycan Shield Across Scales Authors: Zachary T. Berndsen, Srirupa Chakraborty, Xiaoning Wang, Christopher A. Cottrell, Jonathan L. Torres, Jolene K. Diedrich, Cesar A. López, John R. Yates III, Marit J. van Gils, James C. Paulson, Sandrasegaram Gnanakaran,…
Copper ion in organic framework detects antibiotics dissolved in groundwater
A metal organic framework housing a copper atom can be used to detect antibiotic in waterways.
Lighting the way: Molecular beacon provides high-res images of Alzheimer’s protein cleavage
The onset of Alzheimer’s disease is still not well understood. Researchers have developed a high-resolution visualization technique that could lead to improved treatment outcomes. Check it out!
Want more fertile crops this harvest? Add animal bones to your cauldron
Sustaining the world’s population requires finding creative new ways to boost food production
Reactions in Droplets: New Ways of Producing Hydrogen Gas
Developing new ways to produce clean alternative energy sources is of paramount importance. Let’s find out how researchers are using reactions within droplets to produce hydrogen gas, a clean energy source.
Masked Entry – Increasing cell permeability of large molecules
Developing a drug that is able to enter the cell and interact with its target is no mean feat, especially for large molecules. Read about how this group ‘masked’ large molecules to improve their cell permeability.
Molecular tweezers pick viral membranes apart
While most scientists search for specific treatments for viruses like Ebola, Zika and SARS-Cov-2, non-specific methods can have broad impact. Researchers from the United States and Germany joined forces to make non-specific molecular “tweezers” that pluck pieces out of its membrane, leading to disintegrating and dead viruses.
When common plants hold uncommon abilities
The story of a research team in Botswana that joined forces with local traditional healers for a powerful scientific collaboration.
Can chemistry overcome incompatibility?
A new way to have incompatible reactions occur in spatially separate regions of a liquid to create methanol from methane.
The Smell of Rain Has a Biological Function
The earthy smell of soil originates from the bacteria that live there. But why do they produce this particular scent?
DNA-based Nanocarriers to Improve the Preciseness of Drug Delivery
Tired of consuming 5 different medications a day? Read how the researchers are developing new ways to load different drugs in a single delivery system.