All wound up: A reversible molecular whirligig
Over the last few decades, researchers have built minuscule molecular machines that rotate or shuttle other molecules. However, it's difficult to determine the mechanical work and forces that these tiny contraptions produce, which is important when u.....»»
The clever glue keeping the cell"s moving parts connected
Researchers from Paul Scherrer Institute PSI and ETH Zurich have discovered how proteins in the cell can form tiny liquid droplets that act as a smart molecular glue. Clinging to the ends of filaments called microtubules, the glue they discovered ens.....»»
A poison helps us understand molecular hydrogen-producing biocatalysts
In nature, enzymes termed hydrogenases are capable of producing molecular hydrogen (H2). Special types of these biocatalysts, so-called [FeFe]-hydrogenases, are extremely efficient and therefore of interest for biobased hydrogen production. Although.....»»
Some cancer cells may not be as immortal as previously thought
Scientists at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) and the Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB) in Mainz may have discovered new insights into how cancer cells regulate the ends of their chromosomes, called telomeres. Certain cancers use a speci.....»»
Breakthroughs in atomistic neural network representations for chemical dynamics simulations
A team led by Prof. Jiang Bin from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) made a series of breakthroughs in chemical dynamics simulations of molecular, condensed phase and interfacial systems by applying an atomistic neural network.....»»
Scientists discover a new supergroup of rare single-celled predators
Rare microbes form two branches of a supergroup, a classification above kingdoms. Enlarge (credit: Aurich Lawson) Back in the day, taxonomists had to characterize organisms based basically on how they looked. Molecular p.....»»
2-billion-year-old enzyme reconstructed: Detective work by molecular biologists and bioinformatics researchers
Researchers at Leipzig University have solved a puzzle in the evolution of bacterial enzymes. By reconstructing a candidate for a special RNA polymerase as it existed about 2 billion years ago, they were able to explain a hitherto puzzling property o.....»»
Can the three-dimensional organization of the T cell genome regulate (auto)immunity?
The research team of Associate Professor Charalampos G. Spilianakis, an affiliated Professor at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology of FORTH, has been working on determining whether the three-dimensional organization of the T cell ge.....»»
New chemistry toolkit speeds analyses of molecules in solution
A new open-source toolkit automates the process of computing molecular properties in the solution phase, clearing new pathways for artificial-intelligence design and discovery in chemistry and beyond. The Journal of Chemical Physics published the fre.....»»
Quantum algorithm of the direct calculation of energy derivatives developed for molecular geometry optimization
In recent years, research and development on quantum computers has made considerable progress. Quantum chemical calculations for electronic structures of atoms and molecules are attracting great attention as one of the most promising applications for.....»»
Examining previously unknown molecular mechanisms for environmental adaptation in plants
The Plant Physiology and Biochemistry research team at the University of Konstanz has discovered previously unknown molecular mechanisms by which plants adapt to their environment—important basic knowledge in times of climate change.....»»
James Webb Space Telescope reveals an exoplanet atmosphere as never seen before
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has just scored another first: a detailed molecular and chemical portrait of a distant world's skies......»»
Genetic "hitchhikers" can be directed using CRISPR
In a new study, North Carolina State University researchers characterize a range of molecular tools to rewrite—not just edit—large chunks of an organism's DNA, based on CRISPR-Cas systems associated with selfish genetic "hitchhikers" called trans.....»»
Legacy of a molecular dynamics trailblazer: Computer simulations meet biochemistry
Life is motion. And so, to understand how living organisms function, one must understand the movement and reorganization of the atoms and molecules that compose them. The approach called "molecular dynamics simulation" enables scientists to use compu.....»»
Development of an easy-to-synthesize self-healing gel composed of entangled ultrahigh molecular weight polymers
A research team consisting of the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Hokkaido University and Yamaguchi University has developed a method for easily synthesizing a self-healing polymer gel made of ultrahigh molecular weight (UHMW) polyme.....»»
Quantitative characterization of filamentous fungal promoters to discover cryptic natural products
Natural products (NPs) are low-molecular-weight compounds derived from secondary metabolic pathways, which are regulated by hierarchical regulatory networks from cluster-specific regulators to global transcriptional complexes......»»
Enzymatic synthesis of primary, secondary and tertiary amines containing two stereocenters
In a paper just published in ACS Catalysis, the Biocatalysis research group at the University of Amsterdam's Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Synthesis presents a versatile method for the synthesis of primary, secondary, and tertiary amines contai.....»»
Microscopy and simulation unite to improve new-age polymers
Among the most promising unfilled gaps in materials research is an ability to accurately predict real-world physical properties of a material based on its molecular structure......»»
Synthetic biology meets medicine: "Programmable molecular scissors" could help fight COVID-19 infection
Cambridge scientists have used synthetic biology to create artificial enzymes programmed to target the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2 and destroy the virus, an approach that could be used to develop a new generation of antiviral drugs......»»
Molecular monitoring of RNA regulation
The better we understand cellular processes such as RNA regulation, the better molecular therapies can be developed. Until now, it has been especially difficult to track the regulation of non-coding RNA, which is RNA that is not further converted int.....»»
Understanding the growth modes of single-walled carbon nanotubes on catalysts
Insights into the catalyst structure-function relationship of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) can provide an outlook to their growth mechanisms. In a new report now published in Science Advances, Feng Yang and a research team in molecular sci.....»»