When they’re being eaten, bean plants release chemicals that draw in parasitic wasps. For decades, scientists have understood that plants […]
Category: biochemistry
Researchers try to cut the genetic code from 20 to 19 amino acids
Using AI tools, the team reworked part of the ribosome to need one less amino acid. The genetic code is […]
Tiny, 45 base long RNA can make copies of itself
Self-copying RNAs may have been a key stop along the pathway to life. By base pairing with themselves, RNAs can […]
Fungus could be the insecticide of the future
Exterminators keep getting calls for a reason. Wood-devouring insects, such as beetles, termites, and carpenter ants, are constantly chewing through […]
Neural network finds an enzyme that can break down polyurethane
You’ll often hear plastic pollution referred to as a problem. But the reality is that it’s multiple problems. Depending on […]
New pathway engineered into plants lets them suck up more CO₂
Skip to content Engineered pathway lets carbon be plugged directly into key metabolic pathways. Lots of people are excited about […]
Genetic-engineered bacteria break down industrial contaminants
Once that was done, the researchers started looking through the genomes of species that have been identified as breaking down […]
Researchers engineer bacteria to produce plastics
Skip to content I’ve got one word for you A bacterial energy storage system is modified to make polymers. Medical […]
Small charges in water spray can trigger the formation of key biochemicals
Skip to content Charges cause water droplets in an early-Earth atmosphere to build up pre-life chemicals. We know Earth formed […]
AI used to design a multi-step enzyme that can digest some plastics
Skip to content Enzyme mechanisms can be complex, and getting them to work is tricky. Enzymes are amazing catalysts. These […]