A proposed grand challenge in biology asks researchers to engineer a protein catalyst capable of reading an unlabeled peptide chain and writing a corresponding nucleic acid strand without relying on a template, barcode, or lookup database. Success would require demonstrating the method on at least 100 preregistered random peptides of 50+ amino acids, achieving 90% sequence accuracy, average read lengths above 25 residues, and quality scores of at least Q10.
millenniumproblems.bio
· 2026-09-20
David Baker, who shared the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for computational protein design, is leading a new initiative called AI BioDesign, backed by the Allen Institute, University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. The project pairs AI models with large-scale lab experiments to design molecules and biological functions that don't exist in nature but are chemically feasible, aiming to build public databases and tools for future medicines and technologies.
wired.com
· 2026-09-18
Scientists led by Asor and colleagues developed a technique to directly observe individual virus-like particles as their protein shells form, publishing the results in Nature. The method allowed them to measure the speed and energy changes of shell assembly, something previously very difficult to track experimentally.
nature.com
· 2026-09-16
Scientists purified and structurally analyzed SC003-mi3, an engineered virus-like particle derived from i3-01 with cysteine mutations and a SpyCatcher domain for attaching other proteins. Using E. coli expression, ammonium sulfate precipitation and dialysis, they produced pure particles suitable for detailed molecular observation of how the nanoparticle assembles itself.
nature.com
· 2026-09-16
Theresa Burnley, 65, launched protein-bite brand Circ in 2023 while still running her baked-goods manufacturing company, Wiley Road Foods, before leaving that business at the end of 2024 to focus on Circ full-time. The company now sells six flavors and generated roughly $2 million in revenue last year, with distribution across more than 13,000 retail locations including Starbucks and Walmart.
entrepreneur.com
· 2026-09-14
Researchers analyzed proteogenomic data from 29 healthy human tissues and identified over 13,900 localized protein variants, including 7,215 unique amino acid substitutions existing alongside standard reference proteins. Many of these variants arise not from DNA mutations but from translational errors, with their abundance patterns linked to population allele frequencies and specific patterns emerging under amino acid starvation in cancer cell lines.
nature.com
· 2026-09-14
A group of drug companies trained an open-source AlphaFold 3 replica called OpenFold3 on more than 20,000 proprietary protein structures pooled from their private vaults. The resulting model outperformed versions trained only on public data or on any single firm's siloed dataset, according to an unpublished, non-peer-reviewed blog post.
nature.com
· 2026-09-14
A multi-country trial found that weekly 20-minute phone calls from teachers, combined with text messages, significantly boosted children's math progress when schools were closed. Text messages alone, without calls, also produced measurable learning gains compared with children who received no outreach at all.
nature.com
· 2026-09-10
Scientists have discovered a protein, nicknamed 'superdark' for its poorly characterized status, that structurally resembles a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) but does not behave like typical members of this receptor family. The finding suggests the protein may represent an unusual or previously unrecognized branch of GPCR-like signaling molecules.
nature.com
· 2026-09-09
Researchers report in Nature that an abandoned quarry in southwestern China contains fossils and artefacts showing Denisovans occupied the site for at least 30,000 years, possibly up to 120,000 years. The finds include bone tools resembling those made by Neanderthals and evidence that Denisovans hunted deer and other animals skillfully.
nature.com
· 2026-09-09
Researchers expressed and purified key proteins from the monkeypox virus using Expi293F cells, including the viral polymerase complex components. The proteins were cloned, transfected, and isolated through standard cell lysis and affinity purification methods. This work enables detailed analysis of the virus's replication machinery.
nature.com
· 2026-09-02
Scientists engineered synthetic protein assemblies from the bottom up that can package and transport RNA molecules into human cells, using standard molecular cloning and transfection techniques in HEK293T cell lines. They validated the approach with a split-luciferase reporter system to confirm successful RNA delivery and functional expression inside cells.
nature.com
· 2026-09-02
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