Biochemistry

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Chemists successfully synthesize complex natural products

Chemists from the University of Basel have succeeded in synthesizing two complex natural products from the group of dithiodiketopiperazines (DTPs). For this, they employed a new strategy based on "C-H bond activation," resulting in a short and high yielding route.

9 Oct 2019

New antibiotic discovered in Mexican tropical forest

Scientists from Rutgers University and around the world have discovered an antibiotic produced by a soil bacterium from a Mexican tropical forest that may help lead to a "plant probiotic," more robust plants and other antibiotics.

8 Oct 2019

University of Notre Dame receives funding to help launch diabetic ulcer drug over 'Valley of Death'

Thousands of new chemical structures are tested in hopes of discovering a single drug meant to treat a single disease. Of the 5,000 to 10,000 that are prepared, only about 250 of those make it to the pre-clinical stage, and potentially as few as five make it to clinical trials in humans.

8 Oct 2019

Scientists study how immune cells sense and respond to their environment to fight diseases

Scientists at the University of Dundee have carried out one of the most comprehensive studies into how immune cells sense and respond to their environment to fight infection and destroy tumors.

8 Oct 2019

New protein painting technology could transform drug discovery process

George Mason University researchers have discovered the exact location where two proteins responsible for hiding cancer cells from the immune system bind.

8 Oct 2019

Researchers determine how the colon prioritizes gas detox over energy use

Onions, cabbage, garlic. While nutritious, eating these foods can lead to an embarrassing side effect: smelly flatulence. More than just smelly, hydrogen sulfide, the chemical compound responsible for the rotten-egg aroma, is deadly if inhaled at doses of more than 700 parts per million.

7 Oct 2019

New link between two important products of nitric oxide discovered

Ever since three US-based researchers working independently unveiled the role of nitric oxide in mediating blood vessel dilation, endothelial cell contraction and smooth muscle relaxation, their discoveries have served as a basis for novel treatments for high blood pressure and erectile dysfunction, among other conditions.

4 Oct 2019

Exploiting the weak spot in pathogenic bacteria to develop new antibiotics

Antibiotics are still the most important weapon for combatting bacterial infections. But medical science is running out of "ammunition" because of more and more frequently occurring resistances.

4 Oct 2019

Chemical-sensing cells in the gums protect the mouth from infections

Newly discovered chemical-sensing cells in the gums protect the mouth by standing guard against infections that damage soft tissue and destroy the bone that supports the teeth, report researchers from the Monell Chemical Senses Center in an animal study published this week in Nature Communications.

3 Oct 2019

UCR biochemist receives grant to develop novel lead compound to treat breast cancer

A biochemist at the University of California, Riverside, has received a grant from the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, or CDMRP, of the U.S. Department of Defense to develop a novel lead compound to treat breast cancer, the second most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women.

3 Oct 2019

High-fat diet with high fructose damages mitochondria in the liver, study shows

Researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center have found that high levels of fructose in the diet inhibit the liver's ability to properly metabolize fat.

1 Oct 2019

Chemicals used for pharmaceuticals could be made more sustainably by new catalysts

High value chemicals used to make pharmaceuticals could be made much cheaper and quicker thanks to a series of new catalysts made by scientists at the University of Warwick in collaboration with GoldenKeys High-Tech Co., Ltd. in China.

1 Oct 2019

UK-based scientists aim to make infant formula more like human breast milk

UK-based scientists have engineered plants to produce an oil that mimics the chemical structure of human milk fat, a major component of breast milk.

1 Oct 2019

Driving Adoption of Digital Pathology with Image Search

Driving adoption of digital pathology through the Scan Image Search from Huron Digital Pathology. Patrick Myles talks to the Dell Healthcare PowerChat Podcast.

From Huron Digital Pathology 1 Oct 2019

Lipid produced in response to cold helps reduce blood sugar

Researchers based in Brazil, the United States and Germany have discovered that 12-HEPE, a lipid produced in response to cold by brown adipose tissue in the human body, helps reduce blood sugar. The results of their experiments with mice pave the way for new treatments for diabetes.

27 Sep 2019