Twenty canonical amino acids exist in nature, encoded by the universal genetic code and translated by the proteins and RNA that make up the ribosomal machinery. Expansion of the genetic code to new ...

One of the most elegant theories about the origins of life on our planet is that it was kick-started by a delivery from outer space. This idea suggests that prebiotic molecules—the building blocks of ...

In a peer-reviewed analysis, scientists quantify amino acids before and after our “last universal common ancestor.” The last universal common ancestor (LUCA) is the single life form that branched into ...

SKIN WOUND healing is a highly complex and dynamic process, progressing through overlapping phases of haemostasis, inflammation, proliferation and tissue remodelling. Any disruption in these stages ...

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at KU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus. I always knew I would need to memorize the amino acids and their properties, ...

Amino acids have long been known to improve the stability and solubility of proteins. Amino acids might be added to insulin, for example, to maintain shelf-life and stop undesired chemical reactions ...

For decades, amino acids have been added to medical formulations like insulin as stabilizers: these small molecules keep proteins (i.e. larger particles) from interacting in undesirable ways. And for ...

Researchers demonstrated how amino acids could spontaneously attach to RNA under early Earth-like conditions using thioesters, providing a long-sought clue to the origins of protein synthesis. This ...

After five decades of uncertainty, University College London researchers have finally devised a theoretical set of early Earth conditions under which RNA and amino acids could combine to form the ...

Amino acids are absolutely essential to our health—and for life itself. They are the so-called “building blocks” of proteins. They play a key role in the growth, repair, and maintenance of almost ...

Forget carrots. Researchers have determined that one of the most common amino acids has the power to keep retinas thick and healthy. The finding has the potential to fight vision loss and blindness ...