This flower’s toxic traits hold clues for safer drugs

Apr, Thu, 2026
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The molecules of a highly toxic plant, known for its bell-shaped purple and pink flowers and found in some home gardens, have long been used to regulate human heart muscles.

Apple byproducts could power vehicles and feed livestock
A new study published in Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining highlights an innovative approach to transforming apple pomace—an often-discarded by-product of apple processing—into valuable bioethanol and animal feed ingredients. Apple pomace, which represents 25%–30% of processed apples, is typically treated as waste despite its rich carbohydrate content and strong potential for bioconversion.
This flower's toxic traits hold clues for safer drugs
The molecules of a highly toxic plant, known for its bell-shaped purple and pink flowers and found in some home gardens, have long been used to regulate human heart muscles.
Millions of atoms, shifting bonds—new software brings living chemistry into view
Chemical reactions drive life. They ensure that cells obtain energy, proteins perform their functions, and DNA changes under certain conditions. However, many of these processes occur on extremely small scales—so small and so fast that they are difficult to observe directly through experiments.
Elusive tularemia proteins reveal possible treatment target in rare tick-borne disease
Tularemia is a rare but highly infectious disease caused by Francisella tularensis, a bacterium that can evade immune defenses. Symptoms of infection can include fever, swollen lymph nodes, and—in some cases—pneumonia. What makes the pathogen especially concerning is how little it takes to cause infection—fewer than 10 bacterial cells can be enough. Scientists at Arizona State University have taken a key step toward understanding how this bacterium survives inside the human body. For the first time, the team has isolated and studied a set of proteins that play a central role in infection, revealing a potential weakness that could eventually be targeted with new treatments. The study is published in the journal Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA)–Biomembranes.
Microbes contribute a surprisingly large array of proteins in fermented foods
A new North Carolina State University study examining the proteins found in fermented foods like yogurt, cheese and bread found that a surprisingly large number, and percentage, of microbial proteins contribute to their overall protein content. These microbes have long been used in traditional fermentation processes and are widely associated with the beneficial or probiotic nature of these fermented foods.