‘Pac-Man with a ponytail’ proteins regulate everything from night vision to heartbeats – studying what GRKs look like could improve an array of drugs

Master switches of cell communication, G protein-coupled receptor kinases are the target of many drugs across a range of diseases.

Priyanka Naik, Ph.D. Candidate in Structural Biology, Purdue University • conversation
March 7, 2025 ~7 min

Enzymes are the engines of life − machine learning tools could help scientists design new ones to tackle disease and climate change

Enzymes significantly speed up the chemical reactions that keep you alive. Researchers are using AI to create new ones to tackle modern challenges.

Sam Pellock, Postdoctoral Scholar in Biochemistry, University of Washington • conversation
Feb. 13, 2025 ~9 min


Mirror life is a scientific fantasy leading to a dangerous reality − a synthetic biologist explains how mirror bacteria could conquer life on Earth

Synthetic cells that look just like natural cells but are chemically reversed could outcompete other living organisms − with dire consequences for human health and the environment.

Kate Adamala, Assistant Professor of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota • conversation
Feb. 11, 2025 ~10 min

Meat has a distinct taste, texture and aroma − a biochemist explains how plant-based alternatives mimic the real thing

Whether your holiday table has turkey or Tofurky this year, you’re consuming a combination of proteins, fats and water.

Julie Pollock, Associate Professor of Chemistry, University of Richmond • conversation
Nov. 25, 2024 ~9 min

Rain may have helped form the first cells, kick-starting life as we know it

The earliest cells likely didn’t have membranes to separate and protect their components and chemistry away from a harsh surrounding environment. But they may have made do with rain.

Aman Agrawal, Postdoctoral Scholar in Chemical Engineering, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering • conversation
Oct. 15, 2024 ~12 min

Yellow food dye can make living tissue transparent − these methods could one day improve cancer treatment, blood draws and even tattoo removal

New research demonstrates that the dye that gives nacho cheese its yellow-orange color can also make mouse skin see-through.

Guosong Hong, Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University • conversation
Sept. 5, 2024 ~8 min

An AI tool for predicting protein shapes could be transformative for medicine, but it challenges science’s need for proof

Science has a need to verify results, but DeepMind’s protein prediction tool doesn’t work this way.

Sam McKee, Tutor and researcher in Philosophy of Science, Manchester Metropolitan University • conversation
May 31, 2024 ~7 min

A young Black scientist discovered a pivotal leprosy treatment in the 1920s − but an older colleague took the credit

Historians are working to shine a light on Alice Ball’s legacy and contributions to an early treatment of a dangerous and stigmatizing disease.

Mark M. Lambert, Assistant Professor of Behavioral Medicine, Medical Humanities, and Bioethics, Des Moines University • conversation
April 12, 2024 ~8 min


What is metabolism? A biochemist explains how different people convert energy differently − and why that matters for your health

An elite athlete’s metabolism mostly looks different from a patient with COVID-19 − but their occasional similarities can reveal important insights into health and disease.

Travis Nemkov, Assistant Research Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus • conversation
April 4, 2024 ~9 min

Proteins in milk and blood could one day let doctors detect breast cancer earlier – and save lives

Identifying proteins that are only present in bodily fluids when a patient has breast cancer could provide a way to screen healthy people for the disease.

Danielle Whitham, Ph.D. Candidate in Chemistry and Biochemistry, Clarkson University • conversation
March 14, 2024 ~6 min

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