When polymers meet primitive membranes: How molecular cooperation may have helped life begin

Jul, Mon, 2026
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A new study suggests that simple molecules on early Earth may have worked together to create more stable, cell-like structures, offering fresh clues about one of science’s biggest questions: how life began. Led by Dr. Moran Frenkel-Pinter of Hebrew University and her postdoctoral researcher, Dr. Rotem Edri, the research shows that two types of simple molecules, fatty acids and hydroxy acids, can combine to create structures that are stronger and more stable than either molecule can form alone.

When polymers meet primitive membranes: How molecular cooperation may have helped life begin
A new study suggests that simple molecules on early Earth may have worked together to create more stable, cell-like structures, offering fresh clues about one of science's biggest questions: how life began. Led by Dr. Moran Frenkel-Pinter of Hebrew University and her postdoctoral researcher, Dr. Rotem Edri, the research shows that two types of simple molecules, fatty acids and hydroxy acids, can combine to create structures that are stronger and more stable than either molecule can form alone.
Biomolecular condensates reveal surprising activity as catalysts
Biomolecular condensates are ubiquitous in living cells, including bacteria, viruses, plants and mammalian systems. These membraneless bodies, or molecular communities made up of DNA, RNA and proteins, are where molecules large and small within the cell come together to coordinate various biochemical reactions.
AI tools for predicting protein folding produce chemically impossible structures and need human oversight
Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) have found that today's leading artificial intelligence tools for predicting protein structures routinely generate results that are physically and chemically impossible, exposing critical blind spots in how AI is being applied across scientific research. The work, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, serves as a cautionary reminder that AI still requires human oversight and physics-based verification to produce reliable results in the lab.
Why the future of fashion might involve wearing live fungi
The idea of having living fungi cover your body might not be the most appealing thing in the world. But what if it was part of a clothing fabric that could change color, protect you from UV rays and even repair its own tears? Those are just some of the possibilities of a new material described in a paper published in the journal Science.
Study explores rare atom-containing natural products and their biomedical potential
Modern research on secondary metabolites from microbes, plants and marine organisms has revealed a remarkable diversity of chemical structures and bioactivities with broad applications in biotechnology, agriculture and medicine. Most natural products are composed of primary biogenic elements such as carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen.