Pulse radiolysis experiments help reveal how unpaired electrons at one end of a molecule can initiate chemistry at ‘distant’ locations. Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory helped measure how unpaired electrons in atoms at one end of a molecule can drive chemical reactivity on the molecule’s opposite side. As described in a paper recently published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, this work, in collaboration with Princeton University, shows how molecules containing these so-called free radicals…
Hollow spheres made of MYC proteins open new doors in cancer research. Würzburg scientists have discovered them and report about this breakthrough in the journal “Nature”. MYC genes and their proteins play a central role in the emergence and development of almost all cancers. They drive the uncontrolled growth and altered metabolism of tumour cells. And they help tumours hide from the immune system. MYC proteins also show an activity that was previously unknown – and which is now opening…
Ancient, dormant sequences in the genome impact embryonic development in unexpected ways. The mammalian genome contains retroviral sequences that are in an undead but mostly “harmless” state. An international research team recently discovered how some of these retroviral gene fragments affect embryonic cells if they are unleashed. Unexpectedly, not the viral proteins, but rather copies of the genetic material itself generate an imbalance in the cell. Over thousands of years of evolution, countless viruses have embedded themselves in our genome….
The existence of carbonic acid has long been the subject of debate: theoretically real, but practically impossible to detect. That is because the compound decomposes at the Earth’s surface. A German-Chinese team of researchers working at the FRM II Research Neutron Source at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has now made the crystalline structure of carbonic acid molecules visible for the first time. Everyone believes that they know it, but it has remained one of the biggest secrets in…
Insights into a “hot” microbe that can grow on nitrogen while producing methane. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology have successfully enhanced cultivation of a microorganism that can fix nitrogen (N2) while producing methane (CH4) and ammonia (NH3) and investigated exciting details of its metabolism. Carbon and nitrogen are essential elements of life. Some organisms take up key positions for the cycling of both of them – among them Methanothermococcus thermolithotrophicus. Behind the complicated name hides a…
Researchers from Dresden and Vienna reveal link between connectivity of three-dimensional structures in tissues and the emergence of their architecture to help scientists engineer self-organising tissues that mimic human organs. Organs in the human body have complex networks of fluid-filled tubes and loops. They come in different shapes and their three-dimensional structures are differently connected to each other, depending on the organ. During the development of an embryo, organs develop their shape and tissue architecture out of a simple group…
Molecular profiles of the matrix around non-small cell lung cancers identifies which tumours become aggressive and require more targeted treatment. Scientists at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research have identified molecular profiles of the surrounding matrix of a common type of lung cancer that might indicate which patients are likely to develop aggressive tumours. Squamous cell carcinoma is the second most prevalent type of lung cancer. Yet treatment options for these patients remain limited and have remained largely unchanged over…
Newly discovered effect boosts productivity of green hydrogen transport processes. Catalysts are of utmost relevance for the production of chemicals and energy storage with hydrogen. Researchers at the Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg for Renewable Energy (HI ERN) and Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) have now discovered that the formation of bubbles in the pores of a catalyst can be essential for its activity. Their findings help to optimize catalyst materials for reactions in which gases are formed from liquids – and which play…
“If Charles Darwin had had the opportunity to dive off the Cape Verde Islands, he would have been completely thrilled”, Eduardo Sampaio is convinced, because Darwin would have seen a fascinating, species-rich landscape. But he lacked the diving equipment. Thus, in his notes The Voyage of the Beagle, Darwin described Cape Verde as a barren landscape. Eduardo Sampaio, affiliate member of the Cluster of Excellence “Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour” (CASCB) at the University of Konstanz, had…
Genome mining uncovers a widespread class of natural products that could be excellent candidates for future drugs. Benzobactins are bacterial natural products that have special biological activity due to a compound consisting of two ring structures. The bacterial genes responsible for the formation of the compound were previously unclear. Now, scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology have been able to decipher its biosynthesis through extensive genomic research. Their research facilitates the discovery of numerous previously unknown natural…
Engineers dig deep to detail magnetic mechanism of gadolinium-based agents. You can keep your best guesses. Engineers at Rice University’s George R. Brown School of Engineering are starting to understand exactly what goes on when doctors pump contrast agents into your body for an MRI scan. In a new study that could lead to better scans, a Rice-led team digs deeper via molecular simulations that, unlike earlier models, make absolutely no assumptions about the basic mechanisms at play when gadolinium agents are used to highlight soft tissues….
Human papilloma virus causes some cases, but the most lethal form of head and neck cancer is linked to chromosomal alterations; a new study sharpens that association and hints of more effective treatment options. Head and neck cancer, which kills more than 400,000 persons worldwide each year, has multiple causes. The human papilloma virus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection, is one, but the most common and lethal subtype are HPV-negative head and neck cancers, which account for 3 percent of…
Scientists led by Prof. Armido Studer from the Organic Chemistry Institute of the University of Münster have achieved a breakthrough in the “meta-C-H functionalisation” of pyridines and developed a strategy that could give a boost to the development of pyridine-containing drugs and organic functional materials. In chemicals used in agriculture, as well as in pharmaceuticals and a variety of materials, pyridines are often found as so-called functional units which decisively determine the chemical properties of substances. Pyridines belong to the…
LMU and SNSB researchers have identified coral-eating crown-of-thorns seastars in the Red Sea as distinct species that occurs only in this location. Tropical coral reefs are among the most endangered ecosystems on Earth. In addition to climate change, coral-eating crown-of-thorns seastars (Acanthaster spp.) pose one of the biggest threats in parts of the Indo-Pacific region. Up to 40 cm in length, these creatures feed mainly on the polyps of fast-growing stony corals. Mass outbreaks are not uncommon, whereby the seastars…
Researchers led by Osaka University find that a molecule called ATAD3A is essential for the movement of genetic material inside mitochondria, affecting energy production. Mitochondria, famously known as the powerhouse of the cell, are important cellular structures that are vital for their role of generating energy. Mitochondria are “dynamic”, meaning they constantly fuse together and split apart. They contain a small amount of genetic information known as mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). The mtDNA, organized into dot-like structures called “nucleoids”, also moves…
New study uses postmortem brain tissues to understand genomic differences in individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have successfully identified differences in gene activity in the brains of people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The study, led by scientists at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the NIH, found that individuals diagnosed with ADHD had differences in genes that code for known chemicals that brain cells use to…
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