New AI Method Revolutionises the Design of Enzymes

New Riff-Diff technology designs enzymes for chemical reactions efficiently and precisely in a one-shot process

23-Jan-2026 - Researchers at TU Graz and the University of Graz can use the technology to construct artificial biocatalysts. These new enzymes are significantly faster, more stable and more versatile than previous artificial biocatalysts. Enzymes with specific functions are becoming increasingly important in ...

Milestone for medical research: New method enables comprehensive identification of omega fatty acids

Researchers at the University of Graz and the University of California, San Diego present an effective method to determine omega positions of lipids in complex biological samples including human tissues and blood

13-Aug-2025 - Omega-3 fatty acids are known to be an essential part of a healthy diet. As humans cannot produce them, they have to be consumed in sufficient amounts. However, omega-6, -7, -9, and -10 fatty acids also play important roles in the metabolism of fats. These numbers indicate the position of the ...

A new understanding of enzymatic catalysis

BASF and the University of Graz develop fundamentally new computer-assisted model to optimize efficiency of biocatalytic production processes

25-Jul-2024 - Numerous factors influence the efficiency of the enzymes used to produce chemicals. Finding the optimal reaction conditions therefore requires significant time and resources. Researchers from BASF, the Austrian Research Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (acib) and the University of Graz in ...

Pharmaceutical research knocking on wood

Researchers establish green pharmaceutical production from wood waste

20-Nov-2023 - Sustainable and environmentally friendly production processes are playing an increasingly important role in almost all branches of industry. The production of active pharmaceutical ingredients in particular involves the use of various materials and reagents, many of which have environmentally ...

Toxic arsenic in the brain and in breast milk

Research group investigated certain arsenic compounds that were previously considered harmless

13-Jul-2021 - Arsenic is probably the most popular of all poisons and the subject of countless detective stories. What is less well known is that it is found in drinking water, fish and rice. In its pure form or in inorganic chemical compounds without carbon it disturbs the energy balance of the cell and can ...

Photosynthetic microalgae as biocatalysts

The biocatalytic production of chemicals should become considerably more sustainable

06-Mar-2018 - A carpet of blue-green algae can literally ‘cloud’ the summer’s swimming pleasure at the lake. This is caused by a few strains of photosynthetically active microalgae, also known as cyanobacteria. Other harmless strains of cyanobacteria have great potential for biotechnological applications and ...

Breast milk as a weapon against cancer

11-Apr-2017 - In a project supported by the Austrian Science Fund FWF, scientists at the University of Graz modified and reinforced a host defence peptide from breast milk so as to enable it to specifically detect cancer cells. The active substance can then induce cell death. Research continues on this new ...

How to make a protein trap

14-Feb-2017 - Once they can synthesise molecules of active natural substances, scientists will be able to harness nature’s medicine cabinet for the drugs of the future. By testing newly developed synthesising processes and catalysts, a project funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF managed to produce the ...

A well-matched couple

A new setup for hybrid photoacoustic and ultrasound imaging with optical ultrasound detection provides perfectly co-registered dual-modality section images

14-Jun-2013 - Photoacoustic (PA) imaging is a method to visualize structures with optical contrast in biological tissue. Despite the strong optical scattering in tissue, high resolution images in the visible and near infrared spectral range can be obtained. The method is based on sound waves which are ...

Vogelbusch optimises important aspect of the bioethanol production from woody raw materials

28-Mar-2008 - Vogelbusch GmbH, which is based in Vienna (Austria), announced that it has applied for a patent for an efficient fermentation process for the high-yield extraction of bioethanol from materials containing hemicellulose. Working in partnership with the Institute of Biotechnology and Biochemical ...