Science Snippet: Examining Enzymes
Structure of a pyruvate kinase, an enzyme that adds a phosphate group to adenosine diphosphate (ADP) to make adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Credit: PDB 7UEH.
Every day, our cells must produce all the various molecules they need to stay alive. But the chemical reactions to create these molecules can’t occur without help—which is where enzymes come in. Enzymes are biological catalysts, meaning they speed up the rate of specific chemical reactions by reducing the amount of energy needed for the reaction to occur. Most enzymes are proteins, but some RNA molecules can also act as enzymes.
Thousands of different enzymes ...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - March 13, 2024 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Cells Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmacology Cellular Processes Proteins Science Snippet Source Type: blogs
A Periodic Look at Elements
It’s National Chemistry Week! To celebrate, we’re looking back at a few recent blog posts highlighting elements important for human health and scientific research. Check out the posts and tell us what your favorite element is in the comments section!
Credit: Adapted from Compound Interest. CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
Got Calcium?
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in our bodies. It’s essential for lots of important functions—including keeping bones strong and allowing muscles to move. Even clicking on this post to learn more about its many roles requires calcium!
Credit: Adapted from Compound...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - October 18, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmacology Element Source Type: blogs
In Other Words: What ’s It Mean to Be Organic?
The word organic is often used to talk about fruits and vegetables that have been produced in a specific way, typically without the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. But to chemists, organic refers to carbon-containing compounds that are the basis for all living organisms. Ironically, the chemicals prohibited in the farming of organic produce are usually organic molecules.
Credit: NIGMS.
Organic chemists study, create, and explore carbon-containing molecules. Most organic molecules contain carbon and hydrogen, but they can also include other elements like nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and more. Organic comp...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - July 12, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmacology In Other Words Source Type: blogs
Science Snippet: Antioxidants Explained
Many types of fruits, vegetables, and legumes are rich in antioxidants. Credit: iStock.
While at the grocery store, you’ve likely noticed foods with labels saying they contain antioxidants, but what does that mean? In short, antioxidants are substances that may prevent or delay some types of cell damage. Many foods, including fruits and vegetables, naturally produce antioxidants like vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, and selenium. Our bodies also naturally produce antioxidant molecules such as alpha-lipoic acid, glutathione, and coenzyme Q10.
Antioxidants are united by their ability to donate electrons, whi...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - July 5, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmacology Science Snippet Source Type: blogs
Pump Up the Potassium
The element potassium plays a pivotal role in our bodies. It’s found in all our cells, where it regulates their volume and pressure. To do this, our bodies carefully control potassium levels so that the concentration is about 30 times higher inside cells than outside. Potassium works closely with sodium, which regulates the extracellular fluid volume and has a higher concentration outside cells than inside. These concentration differences create an electrochemical gradient, or a membrane potential.
Potassium is the primary regulator of the pressure and volume inside cells, and it’s important for nerve transmiss...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - June 21, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmacology Molecular Structures Cellular Processes Element Proteins Source Type: blogs
Career Conversations: Q & A With Biochemist Prabodhika Mallikaratchy
Credit: CUNY School of Medicine.
“One of the biggest things I hope for in my career is that in 20 years, I still feel the same joy and enthusiasm for research and training that I feel now,” says Prabodhika Mallikaratchy, Ph.D., a professor in the department of molecular, cellular, and biomedical sciences at the City University of New York (CUNY) School of Medicine. Dr. Mallikaratchy talks with us about her career path, research on developing new immunotherapies and molecular tools using nucleic acids, and her belief in the importance of being passionate about your career.
Q: How did you first become interested in ...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - May 10, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Being a Scientist Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmacology Tools and Techniques DNA Medicines Profiles Proteins Source Type: blogs
Science Snippet: The Power of Proteins
Some might think that protein is only important for weightlifters. In truth, all life relies on the activity of protein molecules. A single human cell contains thousands of different proteins with diverse roles, including:
Actin proteins in a cell’s cytoskeleton. Credit: Xiaowei Zhuang, HHMI, Harvard University, and Nature Publishing Group.
Providing structure. Proteins such as actin make up the three-dimensional cytoskeleton that gives cells structure and determines their shapes.
Aiding chemical reactions. Many proteins are biological catalysts called enzymes that speed up the rate of chemical reactions by redu...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - May 3, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Cells Molecular Structures Cellular Processes Medicines Proteins Science Snippet Source Type: blogs
Manganese: The Magical Element?
The element manganese is essential for human life. It’s aptly named after the Greek word for magic, and some mysteries surrounding its role in the body still exist today—like how our bodies absorb it, if very high or low levels can cause illness, or how it might play a role in certain diseases.
Manganese is necessary for metabolism, bone formation, antioxidation, and many other important functions in the body. The element is found in strong steel, bones and enzymes, and drink cans. Credit: Compound Interest CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Click to enlarge.
Making Much With Manganese
Structure of the human manganese s...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - April 26, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmacology Molecular Structures Cellular Processes Proteins Source Type: blogs
Fight Aging! Newsletter, January 23rd 2023
This study explored the association between tap drinking water and longevity in Cilento, Italy, to understand whether trace elements in local drinking water may have an influence on old, nonagenarian, and centenarian people and promote their health and longevity.
Data on population and water sources were collected through the National Demographic Statistics, the Cilento Municipal Archives, and the Cilento Integrated Water Service. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression and a geographically weight regression (GWR) model were used to study the spatial relationship between the explanatory and outcome variables of long...
Source: Fight Aging! - January 22, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Newsletters Source Type: blogs
Exploring Correlations Between Trace Elements in Drinking Water and Longevity
This study explored the association between tap drinking water and longevity in Cilento, Italy, to understand whether trace elements in local drinking water may have an influence on old, nonagenarian, and centenarian people and promote their health and longevity.
Data on population and water sources were collected through the National Demographic Statistics, the Cilento Municipal Archives, and the Cilento Integrated Water Service. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression and a geographically weight regression (GWR) model were used to study the spatial relationship between the explanatory and outcome variables of long...
Source: Fight Aging! - January 19, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs
Fight Aging! Newsletter, August 29th 2022
This study demonstrates that adoptive astrocytic Mt transfer enhances neuronal Mn-SOD-mediated anti-oxidative defense and neuroplasticity in the brain, which potentiate functional recovery following ICH.
First Generation Stem Cell Therapies Remain Comparatively Poorly Understood
https://www.fightaging.org/archives/2022/08/first-generation-stem-cell-therapies-remain-comparatively-poorly-understood/
We are something like thirty years into the increasingly widespread use of first generation stem cell therapies. Cells are derived from a variety of sources, processed, and transplanted into patients. Near all...
Source: Fight Aging! - August 28, 2022 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Newsletters Source Type: blogs
Transfer of Mitochondria Aids in Reducing Harms Following Brain Hemorrhage
This study demonstrates that adoptive astrocytic Mt transfer enhances neuronal Mn-SOD-mediated anti-oxidative defense and neuroplasticity in the brain, which potentiate functional recovery following ICH. (Source: Fight Aging!)
Source: Fight Aging! - August 22, 2022 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Medicine, Biotech, Research Source Type: blogs
Biodegradable Screen Printed Paper Batteries for Wearable Medgadgets
Researchers at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed a thin and flexible paper battery that has significant potential as a component in wearable health tech. The device consists of cellulose paper that has been reinforced with a hydrogel and external screen-printed electrodes. It can provide power when flexed and even when it is cut apart. Finally, unlike most batteries, the technology is environmentally friendly, and completely breaks down within four weeks when buried in soil.
Powering wearable health sensors in an effective and sustainable way is a hurdle for th...
Source: Medgadget - December 21, 2021 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Materials ntu ntu singapore Source Type: blogs
High Surface Area Copper for Enhanced Antibacterial Activity
At RMIT University in Australia a team of scientists developed a copper alloy that can kill bacteria on its surface 100 times faster than regular copper. The researchers created the material using copper and manganese atoms, and then removed the manganese after the material was formed, resulting in a comb-like copper structure with massively increased surface area. The development could help with the fight against drug-resistant bacteria in healthcare facilities and may be useful in anti-microbial door handles and hand-rails, face masks, respirators, and ventilation systems.
Images magnified 120,000 times under a sc...
Source: Medgadget - December 17, 2021 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Materials Public Health Source Type: blogs
Washable and Flexible Batteries for Wearable Medical Devices
Engineers at the University of British Columbia created a flexible waterproof battery that is durable enough to undergo multiple wash cycles. The battery is so pliant that it can still function when stretched to double its original length. It’s made of low-cost materials, making it potentially highly suited for wearable health monitoring technology, such as items of clothing, patches, or watches that monitor vital signs.
Providing a power source for wearable tech is somewhat of a conundrum, since most batteries are delicate, non-flexible, and certainly don’t do well around fluids such as body ...
Source: Medgadget - December 15, 2021 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Materials Sports Medicine ubc Source Type: blogs
