Carbene chemistry built into microbe’s metabolism in first for biosynthesis
Proof-of-concept work opens pathway to bacteria engineered to synthesise new-to-nature products
Risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis doubled by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons exposure
Study examined link between PAHs, phthalates, plasticisers and smoking and the condition
Ancient microbial natural products reconstructed from Neanderthal dental plaques
Palaeogenomic approach allows natural product researchers to ‘go back in time’
Orange climbers make fluorescent blue molecules
Naturally occurring aggregation-induced emission luminogens could find use in biomedical imaging
Graphene ‘tattoo’ pacemaker that wraps around the heart is thinnest yet
First cardiac implant made from graphene can sense arrythmias in rodents and deliver electrical stimulation to restore normal heartbeat
Biocatalytic biobots brew beer better
Encapsulated yeast and iron nanoparticles enhance beer fermentation through self-propelled oscillatory motion and easy magnetic retrieval
AI can suggest Covid-19 antivirals from protein sequence alone
IBM model can also find molecules that bind at different sites on target proteins
Lateral flow HPV test could increase detection rates in resource-poor settings
Low-cost assay works uses self-collected samples and gives results within 45 minutes
Biocatalytic process shows promise for large-scale medicinal oligonucleotide production
Promising nucleic acid therapies could be made more cheaply, greenly and simply
Molecular fossils solve evolutionary mystery
Fossilised protosteroids confirm Nobel-prizewinner’s decades-old prediction
Pitcher plants’ deadly bouquet seduces prey
Different species uses different volatiles to lure specific insects
NMR reveals sialic acid biosynthesis in real time
Using NMR, scientists can directly measure sialic acid enzyme conversion velocities for the first time
Biocompatible battery starves cancer cells of oxygen
Implantable self-charging battery creates hypoxic conditions to help kill tumour cells
Are hair relaxers damaging to health?
Making replacement organs
A new generation of materials inspired by teeth
The messy chemistry that led to life
How do plants sense stress?
Changing the game in protein structure prediction
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Wired-up symbiotic multi-organism can turn sunlight and air into valuable proteins
Symbiont could enable microfactories to produce biochemicals for food, farming and drugs
Chemists put the colour-changing ‘ouzo effect’ under the microscope
Greater understanding of the anise-flavoured spirit’s cloudy mix could lead to better emulsions
Woodcock feathers’ nanostructure makes them the whitest ever found
The Eurasian woodcock’s white tail feathers reflect up to 55% of light –30% more than those of any other bird
Peptide tags that encode chemical libraries could revolutionise drug discovery
Simple strings of amino acids store over 4 gigabits of data, offering a highly stable solution for screening small molecule libraries
Plant biomarkers provide evidence of nerve agent attacks
Analytical method detects chemical weapon usage up to three months after exposure by probing plant proteins
Sweetener erythritol linked to heart problems
Comprehensive study discovers high dietary intake of erythritol correlates with increased risk of heart attack similar to having diabetes
A safer, coral-friendly sunscreen is on the horizon
Polymeric UV filter doesn’t harm algae, coral or mice in tests
The hunt is on for vaccine ingredients that don’t come from wild sharks
Yeast can provide the raw materials and chemical wizardry can transform them
Lipophilicity helps explain psychedelic drugs’ therapeutic effects
Understanding why psychedelic drugs that bind to serotonin receptors promote neuron growth, while serotonin itself does not
Zircon study prompts redox state rethink surrounding hydrothermal pools thought to harbour life’s first molecules
Research combining experiments with modelling suggests hydrothermal fluid was 30% as saline as sea water today and more oxidised than the surrounding mantle
Analysing blood chemistry from a single drop
Mass spectrometry determine the levels of thousands of chemicals in a ‘microsample’ of human blood