Molecular biology
The latest chemistry news and research on molecular biology, including genomics, sequencing, modelling and prediction and epigenetics, from the Royal Society of Chemistry's magazine, Chemistry World
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ResearchAI takes step towards cracking biology’s toughest problem – protein sequencing
The team hopes the system will eventually be as influential as AlphaFold was for protein structure prediction
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Research‘Ageing’ cellular blobs could be linked to neurodegenerative diseases
Over time biomolecular condensates’ redox activity drops and tangled aggregates linked to conditions like Alzheimer’s build-up
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FeatureThe circles of DNA that cause cancer
Ring-shaped extrachromosomal DNA is implicated in many cancers. Rachel Brazil talks to the scientists trying to uncover their secrets
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ResearchClearest ever picture of worms’ surface chemistry deepens evolutionary understanding
Cutting-edge mass spectrometry of nematodes’ ‘skin’ may reveal new ways to control parasitic infections
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Research‘Hidden grammar’ explains proteins’ distribution into sub-cellular condensates
Proteins’ amino-acid sequences appear to guide their access to blob-like aggregates involved in many cell processes
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ResearchMapping metabolite disturbances by drugs
High-throughput metabolomic profiling gives insight into unpredictable drug effects
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ResearchMutant moulds threaten newest antifungal drugs putting immunocompromised patients at risk
Agrichemical antifungal use is leading to fungi that can evolve resistance to novel drugs faster – even those not even on the market yet
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ResearchProtein cement is the trick to how ticks stick
New insight into bioadhesive proteins could aid development of future biomedical tissue sealants
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OpinionThere are no life lessons to be learned in AI’s Chinese Room
There’s a lot more lab work to do before we understand the ‘language of life’
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ResearchDebunked dogma: disordered proteins disregard ligands’ chirality
Understanding unfolded proteins could boost drug discovery and decipher origins of life mysteries
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ResearchParrots’ vibrant plumage controlled by single enzyme
Mutation in gene reveals control of red and yellow pigments specific to parrots
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ResearchEasy to remove tag could make mRNA synthesis for vaccines quicker and cheaper
Chemical synthesis takes another step towards overtaking more complex enzymatic routes
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ResearchMineral-extracting microorganism could solve early Earth’s nitrogen-fixing mystery
Ancient microorganisms could have extracted vital nitrogen compounds using molybdenum mined from rocks
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FeatureHow AI protein structure prediction and design won the Nobel prize
David Baker, Demis Hassabis and John Jumper won this year’s Nobel prize in chemistry. Jamie Durrani investigates the origins of a biochemistry revolution
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NewsProtein design and structure prediction wins chemistry Nobel prize
David Baker, Demis Hassabis and John Jumper were rewarded for creating computational tools to design proteins and predict their structures that have ‘revolutionised biological chemistry’
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NewsmicroRNA discovery wins Nobel prize in medicine
Research on tiny RNA molecules unlocked mysteries of gene regulation and cell differentiation
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OpinionProteins’ shape and function are two sides of the same coin
A new perspective on the relationship between chemistry and biology
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OpinionEnormous enzymes expand the limits of molecular biology
Identifying the PKZILLAs, used by algae to make toxins, stretched the capabilities of current analytical methods – and the limits of our preconceptions
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ResearchNanopore proteins designed from scratch and turned into biosensors
Artificial ion channels used to detect disease indicators and pharmaceuticals
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ResearchNew gene-editing tool found in bacterium could carry out extensive genome remodelling
Highly selective mechanism can insert, remove and flip large portions of DNA