The Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) reports that what was previously believed to be “junk” DNA is in fact a vital component that distinguishes humans from other species. Their research, published in Genome Research, notes that previously, more than 50 percent of human DNA was referred to as “junk” because it consisted of copies of […]
Tag Archives | proteins
Proteins Play The Piano
Hoping to more easily identify patterns in protein sequences, UCLA molecular biologists have turned the sequences into original compositions of classical music. “We assigned a chord to each amino acid,” explained Rie Takahashi, a UCLA research assistant and classically trained piano player. “We want to see if we can hear patterns within the music, as […]
Fat Gets A Makeover
Body fat doesn’t just, er, make you fat. It also acts as a repository for all sorts of potentially nasty substances; like PCBs and other environmental pollutants. That’s why rapidly shedding those extra pounds isn’t always a good idea, as a whole slew of chemicals can be released back into the body, potentially overwhelming the […]
Proteins Reverse Engineered
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center pharmacologists studying protein evolution believe they have unlocked the secrets that nature uses to design proteins. They have now used these “rules” to create artificial proteins that look, and appear to function, just like their natural counterparts. The researchers said they didn’t set out to make artificial proteins in […]
Artificial Proteins Could Help Repair Cells
Johns Hopkins University researchers have created a new class of artificial proteins that can assemble themselves into a gel and encourage the growth of selected cell types. This biomaterial, which can be engineered to send different biological signals to cells, is expected to assist scientists who are developing new ways to repair injured or diseased […]