Tracing isotopes of carbon inside amino acid molecules has revealed the ‘metabolic fingerprints’ of how different animals store and use energy.
The same amino acid can be encoded by anywhere from one to six different strings of letters in the genetic code.
Andrzej Wojcicki/Science Photo Library via Getty Images
Many of the amino acids that make up proteins are encoded by genetic material in more than one way. An information theorist explains how principles of nature may account for this variance.
Water microdroplets provide a unique interface that can significantly speed up chemical reactions.
Marianna Armata/Moment via Getty Images
The chemical reaction that forms essential biomolecules like proteins and DNA normally doesn’t occur in the presence of water. Microdroplets provide a unique environment that make it possible.
Drugs can convert between different isomers in the body, leading to unexpected effects.
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From thalidomide to resveratrol, molecules with the exact same chemical properties can have drastically different effects in the body depending on how they’re arranged in space.
Figuring out what makes some proteins glow requires an understanding of chemistry.
eLife - the journal
The AI AlphaFold can figure out the three-dimensional protein structure any string of amino acids will become. It has now exceeded its training by figuring out what makes some proteins glow.
Har Gobind Khorana pieced together how DNA encoded for the proteins that life relies on.
AP Photo/Paul Shane
Using a form of artificial intelligence called deep neural networks, researchers can generate new proteins from scratch without having to consult nature.
Training an algorithm to play proteins like Chopin can produce more melodious songs.
Frederic Chopin/Wikimedia Commons
Peng Zhang, The Rockefeller University and Yuzong Chen, National University of Singapore
Many features of proteins are analogous to music. Mapping these features together creates new musical compositions that help researchers learn about proteins.
For many, distinguishing between fact and fiction is difficult.
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Sarah Lynch, Binghamton University, State University of New York and Kanneboyina Nagaraju, Binghamton University, State University of New York
With the vaccines now being administered at sites around the US, it is important to address misinformation surrounding the effort.
Hydrogen sulfide is a stinky toxic gas, but it has health benefits when released in small amounts inside the body. That’s why eating more plant proteins is linked to longevity.
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Hydrogen sulphide is a smelly, poisonous gas, but it plays an important role in aging and longevity. New research shows that eating less meat could be a key to harnessing its healthy effects.
Just 20 amino acids for chains in various combinations to create the thousands of varieties of proteins in our body.
David Goodsell/ProteinDatabase
Scientists in an artificial intelligence lab have made a breakthrough in solving the problem of how proteins fold into their final three-dimensional shape. The work could speed up creation of drugs.
Without Gaf1, cells had a shorter lifespan.
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Pizza might seem like a simple food, but it’s uniquely equipped to excite our brains and thrill our taste buds.
Canadian runner Leslie Sexton crosses the finish line as the fastest Canadian woman to compete in the Toronto Marathon on October 22, 2017.
(THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov)
Remember that story about the molecule found in turkey that makes you drowsy? Research shows it’s a myth – tryptophan doesn’t cause you to nod off, but it may be connected to cooperation.
How do anesthetics work, and what makes for an ideal anesthetic? It’s not as mysterious as once believed, and there’s a gas that ticks all the boxes for a perfect anesthetic: xenon.