http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/matter_energy/biochemistry/ Read the latest research in biochemistry -- protein structure and function, RNA and DNA, enzymes and biosynthesis and more biochemistry news. en-us Sat, 11 Jul 2009 11:05:01 EDT Sat, 11 Jul 2009 11:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/matter_energy/biochemistry/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090707131828.htm A new study of human colon, pancreatic and lung cells is the first to report that cancer cells and their non-cancerous cell neighbors, although quite different under the microscope, share very similar structural abnormalities on the nanoscale level. The most striking findings were that these nanoscale alterations occurred at some distance from the tumor and, importantly, could be identified by assessing more easily accessible tissue, such as the cheek for lung cancer detection. Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090707131828.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090708094837.htm Scientists in Japan are reporting development of a faster, less expensive version of the fabled polymerase chain reaction, a DNA test widely used in criminal investigations, disease diagnosis, biological research and other applications. The new method could lead to expanded use of PCR in medicine, the criminal justice system and elsewhere, the researchers say. Fri, 10 Jul 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090708094837.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090708132820.htm Self-assembling and self-organizing systems are the Holy Grails of nanotechnology, but nature has been producing such systems for millions of years. A team of scientists has taken a unique look at how thousands of bacterial membrane proteins are able to assemble into clusters that direct cell movement to select chemicals in their environment. Their results provide valuable insight into how complex periodic patterns in biological systems can be generated and repaired. Thu, 09 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090708132820.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090709072904.htm Researchers report an important advance in the understanding of electrical conduction through single molecules. Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090709072904.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090708132824.htm Scientists and engineers report a new method of disentangling carbon nanotubes from a mixture and purifying them into separate species of the same electronic type. More than 20 short DNA sequences, researchers say, have the ability to recognize CNT species and fold selectively onto the nanotubes. Their hypothesis: DNA recognizes a specific nanotube in the same way that biological molecules recognize each other by structure. Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090708132824.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090706134100.htm Study of proteins as a single molecule shows promise to help scientists understand the causes of diseases like some cancers. Research on bunched molecules could lead to a more efficient way to identify antibodies in blood. Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090706134100.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090706161306.htm A new prostate cancer "homing device" could improve detection and allow for the first targeted treatment of the disease. Researchers have synthesized a molecule that finds and penetrates prostate cancer cells and has created imaging agents and therapeutic drugs that can link to the molecule and be carried with it as cargo. Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090706161306.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622171514.htm Scientists studying the physical forces generated by cells has created a tiny micron--sized device that measures and manipulates cellular forces as assemblies of living cells reorganize themselves into tissues. Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622171514.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618101506.htm Researchers have developed a new method to quickly and reliably detect metabolites, such as sugars, fatty acids, amino acids and other organic substances from plant or animal tissue samples. One drop of blood -- less than one micro liter -- is sufficient to identify certain blood related metabolites. Mon, 06 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618101506.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702170126.htm A new type of optical particle trap can be used to manipulate bacteria, viruses and other particles on a chip as part of an integrated optofluidic platform. Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702170126.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630132013.htm Researchers are using a combination of light and ultrasound to visualize fluorescent proteins that are seated several centimeters deep into living tissue. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630132013.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090616121351.htm Chemists have developed novel compounds that show promise for photodynamic cancer therapy, which uses light-activated drugs to kill tumor cells. The new compounds, called dye-sensitized ruthenium nitrosyls, are absorbed by cancer cells and respond to specific wavelengths of light by releasing nitric oxide, which triggers cell death. Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090616121351.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619171250.htm Researchers have developed a successful way to grow molecular wire brushes that conduct electrical charges, a first step in developing biological fuel cells that could power pacemakers, cochlear implants and prosthetic limbs. Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619171250.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090617105050.htm Biophysicists have made gold more precious than ever -- at least as a research tool -- by creating nonstick gold surfaces and laser-safe gold nanoposts to aid in trapping and fixing individual biomolecules for study. Wed, 01 Jul 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090617105050.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629132158.htm Scientists have developed an electrochemical process for coating metal implants which vastly improves their functionality, longevity and integration into the body. Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629132158.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090616144533.htm In revisiting a chemical reaction that's been in the literature for several decades and adding a new wrinkle of their own, researchers have discovered a mild and relatively inexpensive procedure for removing oxygen from biomass. This procedure, if it can be effectively industrialized, could allow many of today's petrochemical products, including plastics, to instead be made from biomass. Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090616144533.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090628171955.htm Scientists have developed novel peptide nanoparticles that effectively seek out and destroy bacteria and fungal cells that could cause fatal infections. Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090628171955.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090626102334.htm Two processes can be used to control the size of nanoparticles, which could serve as tiny light sources. Sat, 27 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090626102334.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090625152927.htm It is now possible to engineer tiny containers the size of a virus to deliver drugs and other materials with almost 100 percent efficiency to targeted cells in the bloodstream. Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090625152927.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090625074635.htm A revolutionary new protein stabilization technique has been developed which could lead to 30 per cent more proteins being available as potential targets for drug development - opening up exciting possibilities in drug discovery. Fri, 26 Jun 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090625074635.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090624153116.htm Scientists have created the world's first acoustic "superlens," an innovation that could have practical implications for high-resolution ultrasound imaging, non-destructive structural testing of buildings and bridges, and novel underwater stealth technology. Thu, 25 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090624153116.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090625141502.htm Investigators have used nuclear magnetic resonance methods to determine the structure of the largest membrane-spanning protein to date. The group's ability to determine the NMR structure of the bacterial protein diacylglycerol kinase, reported in the journal Science, suggests that similar methods can now be used to study the structures of other membrane proteins. Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090625141502.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090623120833.htm Scientists in Delaware say they have developed a new hydrogen storage method -- carbonized chicken feather fibers -- that can hold vast amounts of hydrogen, a promising but difficult to corral fuel source, and do it at a far lower cost than other hydrogen storage systems under consideration. Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090623120833.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090623164539.htm Using a "chemical nose" array of nanoparticles and polymers, researchers have developed a fundamentally new, more effective way to differentiate not only between healthy and cancerous cells but also between metastatic and non-metastatic cancer cells. It's a tool that could revolutionize cancer detection and treatment, according to chemists. Wed, 24 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090623164539.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090624093738.htm Biochips carrying thousands of DNA fragments are widely used for examining genetic material. Experts would also like to have biochips on which proteins are anchored. This requires a gel layer which can now be produced industrially. Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090624093738.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622152037.htm Researchers have developed a fluorescent substance that glows bright green when exposed to even minute amounts of ozone in the air and in biological samples such as human lung cells. A molecule consisting of three oxygen atoms, ozone is at once a harmful pollutant and lung irritant, and a possible natural weapon that certain research suggests the human body employs against infections. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622152037.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619125901.htm Exactly four water molecules and one hydrogen chloride molecule are necessary to form the smallest droplet of acid. Chemists have carried out experiments at ultracold temperatures close to absolute zero temperature using infrared laser spectroscopy to monitor the molecules. According to their calculations, the reaction at these extremely cold temperatures is only possible if the molecules are aggregating one after the other. Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619125901.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090617123656.htm From balloons to rubber bands, things always break faster when stretched. Or do they? Scientists studying chemical bonds now have shown this isn't always the case, and their results may have profound implications for the stability of proteins to mechanical stress and the design of new high-tech polymers. Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090617123656.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619152134.htm Tremendous growth in the development of nanomaterials with enhanced performance characteristics which are being used for commercial and medical applications prompts researchers to take a proactive role in examining the nano-bio interface to identify potential risks of engineered nanomaterials and explore methods for safer designs for use in drug delivery therapeutics and commercial products. Sat, 20 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619152134.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090610133457.htm A soil microbe that uses chemical warfare to fight off competitors employs an unusual chemical pathway in the manufacture of its arsenal, researchers report, making use of an enzyme that can do what no other enzyme is known to do: break a non-activated carbon-carbon bond in a single step. Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090610133457.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090616164000.htm Researchers have created bright, stable and bio-friendly nanocrystals that act as individual investigators of activity within a cell. These ideal light emitting probes represent a significant step in scrutinizing the behaviors of proteins and other components in complex systems such as a living cell. Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090616164000.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615144217.htm Researchers trying to understand how and which proteins work together have developed a new crosslinking tool that is small and unobtrusive enough to use in live cells. Using the new crosslinker, the scientists have discovered new details about a well-studied complex of proteins known as RNA polymerase. The results suggest the method might uncover collaborations between proteins that are too brief for other techniques to pinpoint. Thu, 18 Jun 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615144217.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090616121343.htm Specially engineered nanoparticles could someday target and destroy tumors, sparing patients from toxic, whole-body chemotherapies. Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090616121343.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608072016.htm Canadian Light Source scientists used the synchrotron's infrared microscope to identify the chemical fingerprint of Barrett's esophagus, a condition that can lead to esophageal cancer. Wed, 17 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608072016.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615144329.htm A major barrier to developing a hybrid positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging system could be removed by using a novel approach for reconstructing data, according to researchers. Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615144329.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090614153303.htm Researchers have created a method to precisely bind nano- and micrometer-sized particles together into larger-scale structures with useful materials properties. Their work overcomes the problem of uncontrollable sticking, which had been a barrier to the successful creation of stable microscopic and macroscopic structures with a sophisticated architecture. Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090614153303.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090520140405.htm By combining the art of origami with nanotechnology, researchers have folded sheets of DNA into multilayered objects with dimensions thousands of times smaller than the thickness of a human hair. These tiny structures could be forerunners of custom-made biomedical nanodevices such as "smart" delivery vehicles that would sneak drugs into patients' cells, where they would dump their cargo on a specific molecular target. Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090520140405.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090612123914.htm Research in chemical biology shows how protein engineering techniques can be used to examine the function of heme enzymes. Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090612123914.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090610192431.htm Scientists have identified for the first time a mechanism by which nanoparticles cause lung damage and have demonstrated that it can be combated by blocking the process involved, taking a step toward addressing the growing concerns over the safety of nanotechnology. Thu, 11 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090610192431.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090604124806.htm Scientists have discovered a novel route to fabricate fluorescent nanoparticles from diamond microcrystals. Sun, 07 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090604124806.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090604155621.htm Sunflowers track the sun as it moves from east to west. But people usually have to convert sunlight into electricity or heat to put its power to use. Now, a team of chemists is the latest to report a new mechanism to transform light straight into motion -- albeit at a very, very, very tiny scale. Fri, 05 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090604155621.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601121708.htm Nanoelectromechanical systems devices have the potential to revolutionize the world of sensors: motion, chemical, etc. But taking electromechanical devices from the micro scale down to the nano requires finding a means to dissipate heat output. Researchers say the solution is to build these devices using a thermal material that dissipates heat from the device's center through a hierarchical branched network of carbon nanotubes. The template for this thermal material's design: a living cell. Fri, 05 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601121708.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090603131441.htm Engineers have built a fast, ultra-broadband, low-power radio chip, modeled on the human inner ear, that could enable wireless devices capable of receiving cell phone, Internet, radio and television signals. Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090603131441.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601182926.htm A chemist says that prodding proteins to fold by suddenly removing high pressure (a technique also known as "pressure jumping") through electrical bursting makes for a "kindlier, gentler way" of inducing proteins to fold. Tue, 02 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601182926.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090529075000.htm The chemical mechanism that occurs on the surface of an automotive catalytic converter has been deciphered thanks to an observation speed record. This performance has made it possible to characterize this key step in the reaction that ensures pollutant removal by automotive converters. The challenge is indeed considerable: to obtain a clearer understanding of the mechanisms of removal catalysts in order to improve converters and other catalysts used by the automotive industry. Tue, 02 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090529075000.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090529093152.htm Researchers say they've made a big improvement in a new breed of electronic detectors for viruses and other biological materials -- one that may be a valuable addition to the battle against epidemics. Mon, 01 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090529093152.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090528142823.htm Engineers have designed cells that can count and "remember" cellular events, using simple circuits in which a series of genes are activated in a specific order. Sun, 31 May 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090528142823.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090528135406.htm Molecules with five-fold symmetry arrange themselves on a surface as a two-dimensional crystal, although theoretically this ought not to be possible. Recently researchers in Switzerland have taken the first steps to a better understanding of this "impossible" behavior by monitoring the complicated crystallization process with a scanning tunnel microscope. Fri, 29 May 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090528135406.htm