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Articles
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Snowdrop lectins
Galanthus nivalis, commonly known as snowdrops, are not just pretty Spring heralds. Did you know that they produce a lectin so toxic for insects that it's used in genetically modified vegetables to give 'resistance to aphids? They also produce a substance used for treating Alzheimer's disease. |
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The secret of the old books� nice smell�
The “vanilla� flavour is one of the most loved. In fact, up to 75% of the 18,000 tons yearly production of vanillin is used in sweet foods such as ice cream and chocolate. So how is it made? And why do old books smell of hints of vanilla? |
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Blowing bubbles on the intracellular highway
If we looked at our own cells under a microscope, we might be surprised to find they are folding their own membranes inward and ‘blowing bubbles� internally. This is a key method for transporting nutrients and hormones through the cell’s surrounding membrane to its needed location. |
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A molecular switch for fluorescence
Like the coral in our warming seas, some colourful proteins can be bleached in harsh environmental conditions - but thankfully, this colour can return if we get the conditions right. |
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The wonders of salivary amylase
Did you ever wonder why rice or corn have a slightly sweet taste when you chew them? They contain starch, a polymeric carbohydrate that is mostly tasteless, but when in contact with your saliva, amylase degrades starch into di-glucose molecules that will reach your taste buds, and the magic happens� |
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World’s number one killer
What makes cardiovascular diseases so deadly and why is it important to take action to prevent premature cardiovascular deaths? |
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They grow up so fast
The ‘foolish seedling� disease in rice makes the plants grow extremely fast, become sterile and unharvestable. This disease is caused by a fungal substance called gibberellin, causing plants to grow either tall or short. This shoot-to-root ratio is important in improving agricultural productivity. |
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What do snails, spiders, octopods, and the Queen of England have in common?
Are you familiar with the term blue bloods? It refers to aristocrats coming from privileged, noble families that are wealthy and powerful. But society elites aren’t the only blue bloods. There are squiggly and creepy crawly creatures living among us that literally have blue blood. Does it make them� |
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The ugly duckling: Botulinum
Something that cannot be seen or smelt but taking even a small lick could be fatal. This article, inspired by the image for May in our 2022 PDBe calendar, focuses on the neurotoxin, botulinum toxin, the most deadly neurotoxin known to mankind. Remarkably, even with its lethality this toxin is used� |
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Inhale the future, leave the past
How often do you bring your attention to your breath? For most people, it is largely a subconscious act; something so significant and yet we are hardly aware of it. But for many, every inhalation is a constant battle. Diseases like asthma and cystic fibrosis can reduce people to gasping, feeling� |
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Finding new therapies to target breast cancer
Breast cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer, with more cases worldwide than any other. This article, inspired by the image for February in our 2022 PDBe calendar, focuses on a protein that is one of the key drug targets for breast cancer treatment. |
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Biological molecules provide a link between the past and present
The movie Jurassic Park sparked our collective imagination about the power of biological molecules, and Jurassic World continued its legacy. In the first film in the franchise, Jurassic Park, the cartoon character Mr. DNA explains: “Just one drop of your blood contains billions of strands of DNA,� |