A great number of observational studies have suggested that sleep loss or disrupted circadian rhythms due to shift work are associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes and a variety of other dysfunctional metabolic conditions. A study from Uppsala University is now offering evidence that helps better explain how tissue-level molecular changes are brought on by...
Category: <span>biological sciences</span>
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Enzymes team up with light-activated catalysts
Catalysts working in pairs can promote more-effective reactions than can the same catalysts used sequentially. The coupling of an enzyme with a light-activated catalyst offers great potential for organic synthesis. Nicholas J. Turner The development of catalytic reactions is a dominant theme in chemistry, especially in industry, where major efforts are underway to develop large-scale...
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Oxygen: bacteria killer
A new technique to kill bacteria by utilizing oxygen is on the horizon. A team of researchers has reported its latest developments in the fight to kill methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) at the 256th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (19-23 Aug, MA, USA). The technique utilizes light to activate oxygen, which can kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria. It...
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Gut bug enzyme turns blood into type-O
Scientists believe they have found a reliable way to transform donor blood into the universal type needed for safe, emergency blood transfusions. The discovery is enzymes from gut bacteria that can efficiently turn type-A human blood into type-O. Type-O blood is special because it can be donated to anyone without the risk of a bad...
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Scientists close in on mystery surrounding dangerous blood syndromes
Genetically driven MDS enabled by gene linked to metabolism and oxygen in cells CINCINNATI CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER CINCINNATI – Scientists may be on the road to solving the mystery of a group of mostly incurable blood diseases called myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), which cause people to have immature, malfunctioning bone marrow cells that fuel a...
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Study reveals how enzyme detects ultraviolet light damage
Damage to DNA is a constant threat to cellular life, and so it is constantly monitored and detected by a family of enzymes called RNA polymerases, resulting in subsequent repair to maintain genome integrity. In a paper published this week in the journal PNAS, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, with colleagues in Spain...
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Researchers assemble ‘library of sugars’
UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN THE FACULTY OF HEALTH AND MEDICAL SCIENCES Most of us tend to think of sugar as a temptation that threatens our health. The reality is, however, that sugar is an essential component of the human body; it covers the surface of our cells and proteins and tunes the behavior and function of...