Molecular Awards

  A groundbreaking advance in the field of structural biology has emerged from the Institute of Science Tokyo, where researchers have developed an innovative, rapid, and purification-free technique for elucidating detailed three-dimensional structures of flexible sugar molecules. Sugars, or saccharides, which play far more complex and critical roles in biological systems than their common association with sweetness suggests, have long posed formidable challenges to structural characterization due to their inherent flexibility and dynamic conformations. This pioneering method leverages cell-free protein crystallization (CFPC) of galectin-10 (Gal-10), a sugar-binding lectin, to create molecular crystals capable of capturing and stabilizing sugar molecules, enabling unprecedented high-resolution analysis of their atomic arrangements through X-ray crystallography. In living organisms, carbohydrates serve as crucial mediators of cell-cell communication, infection control, and tissue reg...

  Space keeps a record of chemistry that started long before Earth formed. Carbon bonds with hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur to build “organic molecules,” and those compounds show up all over the place. Telescopes and spacecraft find them in comet gases, in  interstellar dust , and in primitive rocks. This matters because planets can inherit those ingredients instead of making everything from scratch. That hand‑off changes how we think about the first steps toward life. If small worlds stored organics early on, then impacts could have supplied Earth with pieces that helped form membranes, energy‑carrying molecules, and fragments of RNA. The big picture points to a solar system that carried chemistry forward from deep space into young planetary surfaces, like early Earth. Organic molecules in space Scientists studying bits of  interstellar  dust, comets, and asteroids keep finding the same theme: these objects contain a variety of organic molecules. The story b...

  In the realm of molecular biology and biomedical diagnostics, the ability to discern the subtle complexities and heterogeneities among proteins remains a significant challenge. Traditional analytical techniques often falter when tasked with identifying variations in protein structure or composition within complex biological mixtures. Addressing this persistent problem, a pioneering team of researchers at the University of Tokyo has introduced a cutting-edge methodology termed voltage-matrix nanopore profiling. This innovative approach leverages the unique capabilities of solid-state nanopores in conjunction with advanced machine learning algorithms to achieve unparalleled precision in protein discrimination, effectively pushing the boundaries of molecular analysis. At the heart of this technological breakthrough lies the principle of solid-state nanopores—nanoscale holes embedded in thin membranes that serve as portals through which individual biomolecules such as proteins transl...

  In a groundbreaking advancement at the intersection of molecular biology and information science, researchers have unveiled a recursive enzymatic competition network capable of multitask molecular information processing. This novel system challenges conventional boundaries in biochemistry by demonstrating how enzyme networks can be orchestrated to perform complex computational tasks typically reserved for electronic devices and synthetic circuits. The study published in Nature Chemistry presents a transformative perspective on biological computation, revealing an elegant synthesis of enzymatic activity and information processing that could revolutionize future biotechnologies. The heart of this study lies in the meticulous design and assembly of a molecular network wherein enzymes engage in competitive interactions that recursively control chemical outputs. These enzymatic circuits are not static; rather, they dynamically adapt and process multiple molecular inputs simultaneously...

  Infrared vibrational spectroscopy has long been a powerful tool in biological imaging, promising detailed molecular insights without inflicting any damage on the sample. Now, an exciting leap forward has emerged from a collaboration between Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) and Humboldt University Berlin, employing this technology to explore living animal cells in their native liquid environments with unprecedented nanoscale resolution. This advancement leverages the infrared scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscope, or s-SNOM, integrated with the brilliance of the IRIS beamline at the BESSY II synchrotron source, inaugurating a new era of molecular imaging that combines spatial precision and biological relevance. Understanding molecular compositions inside living cells has always been a complex task. Traditional infrared spectroscopy, while sensitive to molecular vibrations, suffers from limited spatial resolution and difficulty in analyzing samples in their native, o...