MIT discovers amino acid that helps the gut heal itself
A new study from MIT suggests that eating foods rich in the amino acid cysteine could help the small intestine renew and repair itself. Researchers found that cysteine can activate…
Scientists discover amino acid switch that turns fat into a calorie-burning furnace
Consuming fewer calories is largely accepted as a way to improve health and lose weight, but a recently published study in Nature Metabolism points to a specific sulfur-containing amino acid…
Green recipe: Engineered yeast boosts D-lactic acid production
Great recipes require the perfect combination of ingredients — biotechnology recipes are no exception. Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University have discovered the ideal genetic “recipe” to turn yeast into a…
Scientists solve mystery of how the drug retinoic acid works to treat neuroblastoma
Neuroblastoma is a solid tumor that occurs in children. When high-risk, the disease has a poor prognosis. Decades ago, adding the drug retinoic acid to neuroblastoma treatment increased survival by…
Disruption of a single amino acid in a cellular protein makes breast cancer cells behave like stem cells
Changes to the intermediate filament (IF) protein, vimentin, were found to promote tumour growth by increasing cancer stemness in an oestrogen independent manner. Targeting vimentin and/or the long noncoding RNA…
Role of ophthalmic acid in motor function control
A research team from the University of California, Irvine is the first to reveal that a molecule in the brain — ophthalmic acid — unexpectedly acts like a neurotransmitter similar…
Acid sensor and calcium store discovered in plants
When plants are infected by pathogens, suffer from a lack of water or have to react to other external stimuli, the first thing they do is increase the proton and…
New pipeline makes valuable organic acid from plants — saving money and emissions
In a breakthrough for environmentally friendly chemical production, researchers at the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI) have developed an economical way to make succinic acid, an important…