Reaction in Biological News

Munich researchers discover new target for tailored antibiotics

... around the world are searching for new reaction steps that are vital to microorganisms but play ... in detail the structural basis for just such a reaction step. The cells of virtually all life forms ... Over the years, the team discovered most of the reaction steps of the new metabolic pathway. Yet the ...

Toxic molecule may help birds 'see' north and south

... was toxic, seeing it instead as an ideal reaction partner in a biochemical process involving the ... through its own molecular spins, recruits a reaction partner that operates at so-called zero spin. ... partner," Schulten said. "We propose that the reaction partner is not the benign oxygen molecule that we ...

Biomass as a source of raw materials

... Chemie , the process is based on a "one-pot" reaction catalyzed by a precious metal on a carbon support ... as the proton source for the reaction. The reaction is a "one-pot" reaction, meaning a one-step reaction whose partial reactions (hydrogenation, ...

Pliable proteins keep photosynthesis on the light path

... II. The center stage of photosynthesis is the reaction center, where light energy is funneled into ... previously demonstrated that the movement of the reaction center proteins during photosynthesis facilitates ... movement of electrons between molecules in the reaction center, helping the plant or bacteria to harness ...

Singapore researchers first to transform carbon dioxide into methanol

... even in the presence of oxygen. Hence, the reaction with NHCs and carbon dioxide can take place under ... carbon dioxide, and the product of this reaction is transformed into methanol by adding water ... have required more energy input and a much longer reaction time. They also require transition metal ...

Clemson and collaborators receive $1.1 million to improve durability of concrete infrastructure

... "Here at Clemson we will study alkali-silica reaction (ASR) in concrete," said Rangaraju. "This is a ... Rangaraju says that once the alkali-silica reaction affects a concrete structure, it is difficult to ... or even prevent the occurrence of alkali-silica reaction distress in concrete construction. ...

Orientation of antenna protein in photosynthetic bacteria described

... chlorosome antenna complex with the organism's reaction center. These bacteria are related to extreme ... between a larger antenna and a complex called the reaction center, where all the electron transfer chemistry ... trimeric protein that in turn transfers to the reaction center. Photosynthesis transforms light, ...

Dancing 'adatoms' help chemists understand how water molecules split

... the scientists have visualized a chemical reaction that had previously only been talked about. The ... the process is known as "pseudo-dissociation", a reaction suggested by chemists but until now, never ... A catalyst is a molecule that can help a chemical reaction along and remain unchanged by the experience. ...

When acute hepatitis develops into chronic hepatitis

... factor in achieving an appropriate immune reaction is the quick mobilisation of immune cells. These ... host cells, the Treg cells shut down an immune reaction and cut off the effector T cells. They counteract ... B infections: the Treg cells prevent an immune reaction and, in doing so, increase the number of ...

Pitt, NETL researchers report molecular chain reaction thought to be impossible

... in Pittsburgh demonstrated a molecular chain reaction on a metal surface, a nanoscale process with ... single electron caused a self-perpetuating chain reaction that rearranged the bonds in 10 consecutive ... and circuit boards. Because the demonstrated reaction involved several molecules on a surface, it ...

Lab test for allergy scoops national

... lab-based, in-vitro test to mimic human allergic reaction that could be used as an alternative to the ... inhalant allergens that could cause an allergic reaction in a patient and the researchers are hoping it ... and other chemicals indicative of allergic reaction in the patient's blood. Dr Marcos Alcocer, a ...

Researchers shed new light on catalyzed reactions

... chemical steps." Ironically, he said, the reaction the team set out to analyze -- the breakdown of ... by the method. So, the team slowed down the reaction by using a similar molecule called DCE or ... these catalyzed reactions in water while the reaction is happening, and some of the most interesting of ...

Strange molecule in the sky cleans acid rain, scientists discover

... exhibits its own unusual properties. "The reaction involving this molecule proceeds faster as you go ... most chemical reactions," she says. "The rate of reaction also changes depending on the atmospheric ... prevented scientists from being able to model the reaction for so long. "This is not how we explain ...

A baby's smile is a natural high

... like a 'natural high' ". The strength of the reaction depended on the baby's facial expression, he ... expressions. "We were expecting a different reaction with sad faces," he said. In fact, they found little difference in the reaction of the mothers' brains to their own babies' ...

Fair trade

... lanthanum chloride catalyst induces CCl4 and its reaction partner dichloromethane (CH2Cl2) to exchange one ... behind on the catalyst surface. Both of these reaction steps produce chloroform exclusively; no byproducts come into play. This new catalytic reaction is astonishing in that it was previously assumed ...

More efficient fuel-cells, thanks to a new catalyst

... of creating electrical energy from a chemical reaction between a fuel and oxygen. For fuel cells to ... are responsible for accelerating the chemical reaction required for electricity to be produced. It is in ... the fuel cell to generate electricity, a chemical reaction called electro-oxidation has to take place and ...

A new idea for how anti-aging products delay ripening of fruit and wilting of flowers

... allows. The authors propose that a chemical reaction occurs between 1-MCP and naturally-occurring ... to make them, Pirrung said. Based on the reaction of 1-MCP with copper, we discovered a very easy ... According to Pirrung, knowledge of a chemical reaction between 1-MCP and copper in ethylene receptors ...

A model photochemical compass for bird navigation

... retina absorb light, which causes a chemical reaction that, in turn, produces a short-lived ... is based on a magnetically sensitive chemical reaction whose lifetime depends on the orientation of its ... CPF molecule for use in artificial photosynthetic reaction centers. These centers mimic the mechanisms by ...

Birth of an enzyme

... succeeded in creating a new type of enzyme for a reaction for which no naturally occurring enzyme has ... was to create an enzyme for a specific chemical reaction whereby a proton (a positively charged hydrogen atom) is removed from carbon a highly demanding reaction and rate-determining step in numerous processes ...

Scientists find missing evolutionary link using tiny fungus crystal

... to take over some of the RNA molecule's chemical reaction jobs inside cells. The protein stabilizes the RNA ... is capable of performing a specific chemical reaction on itself, but it requires a protein for this reaction to take place efficiently," he said. This ...

The key to unlocking the secret of highly specific DNAzyme catalysis

... a lead-specific DNAzyme uses the lock and key reaction mechanism. In the presence of zinc or magnesium, however, the same DNAzyme uses the induced fit reaction mechanism, similar to that used by ribozymes. ... relationship between conformational change and reaction is important in obtaining deeper insight into how ...

Going live with click chemistry

... a copper-free variant of the click chemistry reaction that possesses comparable kinetics to the copper-catalyzed reaction and proceeds within minutes on live cells with no ... This is the first example of a click chemistry reaction that, like the copper-catalyzed version, proceeds ...

The endocannabinoids: Functional roles and therapeutic opportunities

... are also formed in the brain, particularly as a reaction to numerous neurological diseases, and are ... system generally is involved in the protective reaction of the mammalian body to a long list of ... system is involved in the protective reaction of the mammalian body to a long list of ...

MIT unraveling secrets of red tide

... approximates the synthesis used by algae, a reaction that chemists have tried for decades to ... depends on two critical factors-giving the reaction a jump start and conducting the reaction in water. Many red tide toxins possess a long ...

New way to make sensors that detect toxic chemicals

... most important "first" to come out of the study is their discovery of the reaction pathway -- that is, the various chemical steps that take place inside the ... during the synthesis of the material. Now that the researchers know the reaction pathway, they can devise ways to add chemical dopants to the ....

Fish may actually feel pain and react to it much like humans

... thought the responses might be more like a reflex than a cognitive reaction to experiencing pain. The reflexive response is similar to a person ... moving a hand off a hot stove with which they had come into contact. The reaction happens before a person actually experiences pain or understands that they ...

Singapore scientists synthesize gold to shed light on cells' inner workings

... Postdoctoral Fellow Jianping Xie, Ph.D. Synthesized via a single-step reaction at body temperature (37C), the gold nanoclusters are formed with a ... does not involve toxic chemicals or high temperatures. A single reaction with a protein is all that is required to produce scalable quantities of ...

Malfunction of the respiratory epithelium is a cause of allergy?

... in the epithelium immediately after allergen exposure, before the allergic reaction develops. They used birch pollen allergen (Bet v 1) exposure and showed ... not of healthy subjects within one minute after the exposure. An allergic reaction developed when the allergen reached mast cells under the basement ....

Turning sunlight into liquid fuels

... of cobalt oxide can effectively carry out the critical photosynthetic reaction of splitting water molecules. "Photooxidation of water molecules into ... The next big step, however, will be to integrate the water oxidation half reaction with the carbon dioxide reduction step in an artificial leaf type system. ...

Geologists map rocks to soak CO2 from air

... of CO 2 . But scientists are experimenting with ways to speed the reaction up by dissolving carbon dioxide in water and injecting it into the rock, as well as capturing heat generated by the reaction to accelerate the process. "It offers a way to permanently get rid of CO ...

Even natural perfumes may cause allergies

... can cause allergic reactions. New eczema-provoking allergens are formed by reaction with acid in the ambient air (known as autoxidation) or with skin enzymes. ... by itself to be only slightly allergenic. However through autoxidation and reaction with skin enzymes, the substance is activated and becomes the closely ...

Stroma genomic signature predicts resistance to anthracyclin-based chemotherapy in breast cancer

... Researchers found that it is precisely the magnitude of this stroma reaction that was predictive of a response to chemotherapy. "It was a surprise to ... to treatment," Dr Farmer continued. "Patients who had a strong stroma reaction characterized by an increased quantity of fibroblasts surrounding the ...

Dinner, lecture series to honor legacy of distinguished UH professor

... typically teaches one course per semester. One in particular, which covers reaction engineering, has been on his calendar since his days as an assistant ... council and president of the International Symposium on Chemical reaction Engineering, U.S.A. He is editor of the Plenum Book series in chemical ...

New discovery may lead to new class of allergy drugs

... volunteers. Then the researchers mimicked what occurs during an allergic reaction by treating the cells with eotaxin, which was previously believed to only ... the U.S., costing more than $18 billion. The most severe type of allergic reaction is called "anaphylaxis," which can be fatal. ...

Jefferson scientists discover a key protein regulator of inflammation and cell death

... The protein, AIM2 (absent in melanoma 2), is involved in the detection and reaction to dangerous cytoplasmic DNA that is produced by infection with viral or ... It then binds to the foreign DNA and causes a rapid inflammatory reaction that sends a danger signal alerting the body to the invading pathogen. ...

Researchers apply systems biology and glycomics to study human inflammatory diseases

... The paper demonstrates experimental techniques that measure enzyme reaction rates involved in glycosylation, and then draw critical correlations with ... produced experimentally allows us to determine key steps in the glycome reaction network that controls the final glycan structure that appears on cells," ...

Deep biosphere research points to new methods for recovering petroleum

... of Chemistry and Biochemistry, designed and built the hydrothermal reaction vessels necessary for testing. At ASU's new Omni-pressure Lab, simple ... a team with a wide-range of expertise from thermodynamic modeling, reaction mechanisms, and organic characterization, to clay minerals and ...

Enzyme detectives uncover new reactions, products

... desaturases, can ordinarily perform only its one specified reaction -- desaturation. This is unlike desaturase enzymes that reside within the ... how these structural changes to the enzyme lead to the observed changes in reaction chemistry. Computer-generated models combining the known structure of the ...

Future for clean energy lies in 'big bang' of evolution

... progress has been made over the last decade understanding the fundamental reaction of photosynthesis that evolved in cyanobacteria 3.7 billion years ago, ... as was discussed at a recent workshop focusing on the photosynthetic reaction centres of cyanobacteria, organised by the European Science Foundation ...

Volcano taming

... will react strongly with hot lava at 1100-1200 Celsius. The chemical reaction that ensues is highly endothermic, which means it requires heat, and this ... outpourings, making it far more viscous and quicker to solidify. The reaction will leave behind solid calcium and magnesium oxide mixtures - pyroxenes ...