Tag: natural products
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Sea Sponge Molecule Shows Promise in Anti-Cancer Research
Introduction: A natural source, a scientific leap Scientists have long turned to the ocean for medicinal clues, and a recent development adds a significant entry to that archive. Chemists have synthesized a complex molecule found in sea sponges off the coast of South Korea, a compound that researchers believe could play a role in fighting…
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Sea Sponge Molecule Shows Promise Against Cancer: A Breakthrough in Marine-Derived Drugs
Groundbreaking Marine Molecule Emerges from South Korea’s Coastal Waters In a study published in Science, chemists report the synthesis of a complex molecule derived from sea sponges collected off the coast of South Korea. The compound, referred to as a promising cancer-fighting candidate, represents a significant step forward in the exploration of marine natural products…
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Exploring the Power Of Plants To Make Drugs From Sunlight
The plant chemist’s superpower Plants are nature’s most versatile chemists. Fueled by sunlight and carbon dioxide, they synthesize a dazzling array of natural products that remain challenging to replicate in the lab. In recent work led by Professor Anne Osbourn FRS at the John Innes Centre, researchers harness genomic data, AI, and biotechnology to glimpse…
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Chlorinated Dictyostelium compounds as strong antibacterials
New chlorinated compounds from slime mold mirror powerful antibacterial activity Dictyostelium discoideum, a soil-dwelling cellular slime mold, continues to surprise scientists with its chemical arsenal. Researchers have identified a family of chlorinated natural products produced by this organism, expanding our understanding of how microbes in the soil defend themselves against rivals and predators. In recent…
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Chlorinated compounds from slime mold show antibiotic potential
Slime mold produces potent chlorinated antibiotics Soil-dwelling cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum is emerging as a source of novel antibiotics. In recent work published by FEBS Open Bio, researchers report that this single-celled organism not only makes previously known chlorinated compounds but can also be coaxed to produce additional ones that demonstrate notable antimicrobial activity.…
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Mitraphylline Production in Plants Reveals Cancer-Fighting Potential
Breakthrough maps how plants assemble mitraphylline In a collaborative effort spanning Canada and the United States, researchers have uncovered the molecular steps plants use to produce mitraphylline, a rare spirooxindole alkaloid with potential anti-cancer properties. The discovery, led by doctoral student Tuan-Anh Nguyen under the guidance of Dr. Thu-Thuy Dang at UBC Okanagan, builds on…
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Unlocking Nature’s Blueprint: How Plants Produce Cancer-Fighting Mitraphylline
New chapter in natural product science: how plants craft mitraphylline Researchers at the University of British Columbia Okanagan have unveiled the plant-based blueprint for mitraphylline, a rare natural compound in the spirooxindole family with potential cancer-fighting properties. This discovery not only answers a long-standing question about how plants assemble these complex molecules but also offers…
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Chlorinated Compounds from Slime Mold Show Strong Antibacterial Activity
New insights into a soil microbe’s chemical arsenal Dictyostelium discoideum, a cellular slime mold thriving in soil, has long fascinated scientists for its ability to switch from single cells to a coordinated multicellular form. Now, researchers have uncovered a new facet of this organism: it produces chlorinated natural products with notable antibacterial activity. Building on…
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Mitraphylline Production in Plants: Enzymes Revealed
Scientists unlock how plants create cancer-fighting mitraphylline In a breakthrough that could transform how powerful natural products are sourced, researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) Okanagan have mapped the enzymes that make mitraphylline, a rare spirooxindole alkaloid with potential anti-cancer properties. The discovery builds on a landmark finding from 2023 and opens the…