Proposal of new universal nomenclature for oxytocin and vasotocin genes
(University of Barcelona) Oxytocin and arginine vasopressin are two hormones in the endocrine system that can act as neurotransmitters and regulate -in vertebrates and invertebrates- a wide range of biological functions, such as bonding formation, breastfeeding, birth or arterial pressure. Biochemists in the pregenomic era, named these genes differently in different species, due to small protein coding differences. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)
Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science - April 28, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news
Bristol documentary photographer captures some of the faces behind COVID-19 research
The human stories behind Bristol scientists who are playing an important role in global efforts to overcome COVID-19 have been captured in a billboard campaign by a Bristol-based photographer. (Source: University of Bristol news)
Source: University of Bristol news - April 26, 2021 Category: Universities & Medical Training Tags: Health, International, Research; Faculty of Life Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Faculty of Science, School of Chemistry, Faculty of Healt Source Type: news
Real Life TS Book Club Discussion
Join The Scientist on May 21 to discuss Brandon Taylor ’s novel about a biochemistry graduate student navigating relationships inside and outside the lab. (Source: The Scientist)
Source: The Scientist - April 23, 2021 Category: Science Tags: Sponsored Webinars Source Type: news
A new study identifies interleukin 11 as a marker of cancer-associated fibroblasts
(Toho University) A research group led by Prof. Hiroyasu Nakano of Department of Biochemistry, Toho University Faculty of Medicine, found that interleukin 11 (IL-11)-positive cells rapidly appear in the colons of mice with colitis and colitis-associated colorectal cancers. In RNA-seq analysis of the gene expression profiles, they found that high expression of enriched genes in IL-11-positive fibroblasts correlated with short duration of disease-free survival in human colorectal cancer patients. (Source: EurekAlert! - Cancer)
Source: EurekAlert! - Cancer - April 22, 2021 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: news
Fifty years of collaborative science
(American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology) Scientists from around the world will come together virtually to celebrate the 50th anniversary of a key piece of the infrastructure for sharing scientific knowledge: the Protein Data Bank. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - April 22, 2021 Category: Biology Source Type: news
Exclusive: Inside the Facilities Making the World ’s Most Prevalent COVID-19 Vaccine
If you’ve been vaccinated for COVID-19, chances are pretty high that you’re benefiting from a product made by BioNTech. The German biotech company, co-founded by a husband-and-wife team of scientists, developed the vaccine that became not only the first to earn authorization in the U.S. for COVID-19 in December but also the first ever based on a new technology involving the genetic material mRNA.
In interviews in December and March, co-founders Ugur Sahin and Ozlem Tureci spoke about their whirlwind year and their partnership with U.S. pharmaceutical company Pfizer to test and manufacture the vaccine. Over thre...
Source: TIME: Health - April 19, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Alice Park and Aryn Baker/Marburg, Germany Tags: Uncategorized COVID-19 Exclusive feature longform Magazine photography Source Type: news
Lab-grown embryos mix human and monkey cells
(Source: ScienceNOW)
Source: ScienceNOW - April 15, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Leslie, M. Tags: Biochemistry, Medicine, Diseases In Depth Source Type: news
Professor Herbert Gutfreund FRS, 1921 – 2021
Professor Herbert “ Freddie ” Gutfreund, Emeritus Professor of Biochemistry, died in March 2021. Professor Stephen Halford FRS offers this appreciation. (Source: University of Bristol news)
Source: University of Bristol news - April 14, 2021 Category: Universities & Medical Training Tags: Obituaries; Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences Source Type: news
Newly launched British biotech company pioneers ground-breaking potential treatments for COVID-19
A team of top scientists from the University of Bristol have announced the formation of a new biotech company that is developing ground-breaking and newly patented potential treatments for coronavirus. (Source: University of Bristol news)
Source: University of Bristol news - April 13, 2021 Category: Universities & Medical Training Tags: Business and Enterprise, Health, Research, International; Faculty of Life Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Biochemistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, Institutes, Institutes, Bristol BioDesign Source Type: news
A multidimensional view of the coronavirus
(Technical University of Munich (TUM)) What exactly happens when the corona virus SARS-CoV-2 infects a cell? In Nature, a team from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry paints a comprehensive picture of the viral infection process. For the first time, the interaction between the coronavirus and a cell is documented at five distinct proteomics levels. This knowledge will help to gain a better understanding of the virus and find starting points for therapies. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - April 12, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news
Mechanism and dynamics of fatty acid photodecarboxylase
Fatty acid photodecarboxylase (FAP) is a photoenzyme with potential green chemistry applications. By combining static, time-resolved, and cryotrapping spectroscopy and crystallography as well as computation, we characterized Chlorella variabilis FAP reaction intermediates on time scales from subpicoseconds to milliseconds. High-resolution crystal structures from synchrotron and free electron laser x-ray sources highlighted an unusual bent shape of the oxidized flavin chromophore. We demonstrate that decarboxylation occurs directly upon reduction of the excited flavin by the fatty acid substrate. Along with flavin reoxidati...
Source: ScienceNOW - April 8, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Sorigue, D., Hadjidemetriou, K., Blangy, S., Gotthard, G., Bonvalet, A., Coquelle, N., Samire, P., Aleksandrov, A., Antonucci, L., Benachir, A., Boutet, S., Byrdin, M., Cammarata, M., Carbajo, S., Cuine, S., Doak, R. B., Foucar, L., Gorel, A., Grü Tags: Biochemistry, Online Only r-articles Source Type: news
Structure and dynamics of the CGRP receptor in apo and peptide-bound forms
G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs) are key regulators of information transmission between cells and organs. Despite this, we have only a limited understanding of the behavior of GPCRs in the apo state and the conformational changes upon agonist binding that lead to G protein recruitment and activation. We expressed and purified unmodified apo and peptide-bound calcitonin gene–related peptide (CGRP) receptors from insect cells to determine their cryo–electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures, and we complemented these with analysis of protein conformational dynamics using hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass s...
Source: ScienceNOW - April 8, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Josephs, T. M., Belousoff, M. J., Liang, Y.-L., Piper, S. J., Cao, J., Garama, D. J., Leach, K., Gregory, K. J., Christopoulos, A., Hay, D. L., Danev, R., Wootten, D., Sexton, P. M. Tags: Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Online Only r-articles Source Type: news
Heavy water tastes sweet
(Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IOCB Prague)) Ordinary pure water has no distinct taste, but how about heavy water? Does it taste sweet, as anecdotal evidence going back to 1930s may have indicated? And if yes - why, when D2O is chemically practically identical to H2O? Researchers led by Pavel Jungwirth from IOCB Prague and Masha Niv from the Hebrew University show that, unlike ordinary water, heavy water tastes sweet to humans with this effect being mediated by the sweet taste receptor. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - April 7, 2021 Category: Biology Source Type: news
LSU Health New Orleans study discovers source of Zika neurodevelopmental defects
(Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center) A study led by Edward Wojcik, PhD, Associate Professor of Biochemistry& Molecular Biology at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, identified how microcephaly (abnormally small heads) and blindness may develop in Zika-infected fetuses, as well as a new way to potentially prevent these neurodevelopmental defects. (Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases)
Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases - April 6, 2021 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: news
Committee with no domain expertise approved indigenously manufactured Covaxin: Health experts
“The committee is Delhi centric and dominated by disciplines not connected to vaccines and clinical research. Like in the US such important committees should be multidisciplinary with virologist, persons having a background in cellular and molecular biology, biochemistry, public health and experie nce of conducting clinical research,” former health secretary Sujatha Rao said. (Source: The Economic Times Healthcare and Biotech News)
Source: The Economic Times Healthcare and Biotech News - April 6, 2021 Category: Pharmaceuticals Source Type: news
