All Proteomics & Enzymology articles
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NewsOrdinary enzyme evolves into a ‘control switch’ revealing a new weak spot in tuberculosis
A protein that acts as a ‘control switch,’ preventing Mycobacterium tuberculosis from accessing the energy sources it needs to survive, has been identified by researchers. The discovery points to a specific vulnerability in the bacterium that could be targeted by new TB treatments.
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NewsAI reveals unexpected source of antibiotic candidates in prion proteins
Prion and prion-like proteins may hide short peptides, named “prionins,” that can kill bacteria, suggesting proteins best known for their role in neurodegeneration may contain molecular features linked to immune defense, according to new research.
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NewsHow exercise fights implant infections: Muscle hormone “musclin” unveiled as a key defender
A new study reveals how the exercise-induced myokine musclin reprograms macrophage metabolism to clear dead cells and treat periprosthetic joint infections.
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NewsResearchers investigate the underlying causes of post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome
With an estimated one million Americans afflicted with post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome, newly funded research seeks to determine whether the condition is triggered by a persistent autoimmune response, and if a test can be devised to pinpoint who is more likely to develop it.
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NewsMolecular anchors on gut phages may open new avenues for therapeutic development
A new study has identified phage surface proteins acting as molecular anchors. These proteins confer phages with the ability to attach to human cells. Using genetic engineering, the researchers transferred these adhesion proteins onto the surface of another phage that otherwise lacked this ability.
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NewsDigital model guides cleaner biohydrogen production
A research team has developed an enzyme-aware digital model that explains why hydrogen-producing microbes often struggle to grow fast and generate hydrogen efficiently at the same time. The study reveals how limited enzyme resources shape the balance between cell growth, by-product formation, and hydrogen generation.
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NewsHow are chloroplasts communicating with the nucleus? Bacterial enzymes show the way
By utilizing bacterial enzymes that cleave heme molecules at different sites, researchers have developed a method to dissect phytochrome-dependent light and heme retrograde signaling pathways in plants, which have previously been difficult to discuss separately.
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News‘Accidental’ discovery lays foundation for novel flu treatment strategies
Scientists investigating how influenza viruses replicate within cells “accidentally” discovered that different flu viruses use distinct strategies to infiltrate cells in the first place. They also found that it is possible to target specific molecules to prevent the viruses from entering new cells, thereby stopping their replication.
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NewsRedesigning an elusive bacterial enzyme into an efficient green catalyst
Scientists engineer the CYP107J1 enzyme from Bacillus subtilis into a more practical tool for selective oxidation chemistry.
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NewsWhat is the link between HIV and chronic pain?
A mouse study reveals a mechanism linking HIV to chronic pain. Targeting each of the molecular players in this mechanism alleviates pain and may hold treatment promise for HIV-associated pain, though more work is needed.
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NewsResearchers discover tick protein that may block disease transmission
Researchers have found that ticks produce an exosomal glycine-rich protein that plays a vital role in helping ticks feed and transmit viruses. When they used genetic tools to silence the gene responsible for this protein, ticks lacking the protein struggled to feed effectively and showed reduced body weight after feeding.
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NewsOrangutans breastfeed their young for six and a half years, the longest among mammals
Researchers show that wild orangutan juveniles keep consuming their mother’s milk continuously until at least six and a half years of age. The study also suggests that the more milk a juvenile consumes, the stronger its biological defenses and the higher the presence of probiotic intestinal bacteria.
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NewsA common disinfectant could affect how well your liver works
Common household cleaners and pharmaceutical products contain benzalkonium chlorides (BACs), a type of disinfectant. A new study shows that exposure to these compounds caused changes in gut microbiome composition in mice, as well as the genes that encode for liver enzymes that metabolize drugs.
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NewsAs day turns to night, blue-green algae undergo a molecular rewiring
Traditionally, biotechnology researchers have modified genes when engineering microbes. But researchers are using predictive phenomics to uncover additional layers of biological control, tracking how environmental changes reshape molecular activity inside a cell and how those shifts translate to function.
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NewsProtein engineering and testing condensed to a single day
Engineered proteins must be created in the real world and tested for performance - a labor-intensive process that involves constructing the DNA instructions for each protein in yeast or bacteria and growing individual clones for protein production and testing. Researchers say they have condensed the time-intensive protein building and testing process to just 24 hours.
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NewsNo refrigeration needed for killer disease vaccine
Malaria kills more than half a million people every year, but a new vaccine is showing promise as it not only offers long-lasting strong protection but also inhibits transmission of malaria by mosquitos. The vaccine is predicted to be low cost and its cold-chain independence strongly enhances its deployability.
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NewsAnti-CRISPR stops the protein assembly line in bacteria
Bacteria fend off invading viruses with molecular scissors that slice up viral DNA, but viruses can fight back with a molecular trick that stops the scissors from ever being made. A viral “anti-CRISPR” protein sits on the ribosome and jams it as a CRISPR protein named Cas12 begins to form.
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News‘Atomic snapshots’ of proofreading enzyme could lead to better COVID-19 drugs
A research team used images generated by a cryogenic electron microscope (cryo-EM) to observe the interplay between SARS-CoV-2 proofreading enzyme exoribonuclease (ExoN) and RNA incorporated with antivirals such as remdesivir, sofosbuvir and bemnifosbuvir.
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NewsStudy uncovers new kind of cold sensor
Investigators studying a bacterial protein have identified a new mechanism of sensing cold temperatures. The finding points to the possibility that this same type of mechanism exists in other organisms, including humans, and may have relevance for disorders involving faulty temperature regulation.
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NewsResearchers identify potential new route for antimalarial drug design
Researchers have uncovered a promising new potential target for drug discovery. The team focused on an enzyme called aminopeptidase P (PfAPP) from Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite responsible for the most severe form of malaria in humans.