How life came to Earth

Research team finds clue to possible extraterrestrial origin of peptides

14-Feb-2022 - Researchers from the Friedrich Schiller University Jena and the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy have discovered a new clue in the search for the origin of life by showing that peptides can form on dust under conditions such as those prevailing in outer space. These molecules, which are one of ...

For the first time, DNA and proteins sensed by de novo-designed nanopore

This achievement could be applied to facilitating the understanding of the relationship between protein structure and function

30-Nov-2021 - Researchers in Japan have designed the first bottom-up designed peptides, comprising chains of amino acids, that can form artificial nanopores to identify and enable single molecule-sorting of genetic material in a lipid membrane. Biological nanopores are generally channels made by pore-forming ...

Apparently, opposites attract in bacteria as well

Ecologists identify a new rule on how bacterial communities form

04-Nov-2021 - The fact that different bacterial strains interact with each other and exchange substances is essential, for example, for the production of yogurt or in maintaining our healthy intestinal flora. But how do bacteria choose their interaction partners? The research group of ecologist Prof. Dr. ...

Understanding enzyme evolution paves the way for green chemistry

How evolution makes designer enzymes more powerful, paving the way to tailor-made catalysts

26-Aug-2021 - Researchers at the University of Bristol have shown how laboratory evolution can give rise to highly efficient enzymes for new-to-nature reactions, opening the door for novel and more environmentally friendly ways to make drugs and other chemicals. Scientists have previously designed protein ...

New Class of Highly Effective Inhibitors Protects against Neurodegeneration

Neurobiologists decode central mechanism of degenerative processes in the brains of mouse models and develop new principle for therapeutic agents

12-Oct-2020 - Neurobiologists at Heidelberg University have discovered how a special receptor at neuronal junctions that normally activates a protective genetic programme can lead to nerve cell death when located outside synapses. Their fundamental findings on neurodegenerative processes simultaneously led the ...

Chemists find way to create "the building blocks of life"

Turning alcohol into key ingredients for new medicines

30-Jun-2020 - Chemists have found a way to turn alcohol into amino acids, the building blocks of life. In a study published in the journal Nature Chemistry, researchers explained the transformation, which involves selectively identifying and replacing molecular bonds with unprecedented precision. The finding ...

Differentiating amino acids: Foundation for direct sequencing of individual proteins developed

19-Dec-2019 - A large part of the work inside cells is done by proteins acting as enzymes, transporters, channels, motors, supporting pillars and signaling devices. Proteins are three-dimensionally folded chains of diverse amino acids in a genetically encoded sequence. Whereas scientists have already succeeded ...

Predicting slippery spots for the ribosome

Researchers develop a thermodynamic model to study frameshifting

18-Dec-2019 - In the genetic blueprint for proteins, the information for each amino acid is encoded by codons. A codon consists of three consecutive building blocks of messenger RNA (mRNA), a base triplet that encodes exactly one amino acid. During protein synthesis, adaptor molecules - called tRNAs - ...

Intestinal bacteria could influence the development of multiple sclerosis

14-Nov-2019 - A tryptophan-free diet in mice changes the composition of the intestinal bacteria and protects against symptoms of experimentally generated multiple sclerosis. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid, i.e. a protein component which cannot be produced by the body itself, but must be obtained from ...

New piece of Alzheimer's puzzle found

Two short strings of amino acids could pave the way to new treatments for Alzheimer's disease

19-Sep-2019 - Two years after discovering a way to neutralize a rogue protein linked to Alzheimer's disease, University of Alberta Distinguished University Professor and neurologist Jack Jhamandas has found a new piece of the Alzheimer's puzzle, bringing him closer to a treatment for the disease. In a study ...