Researchers in academia and biotech firms are working to develop devices that can detect if a person has COVID-19 by analyzing their breath. Respiratory infections, like the one caused by the SARS-COV-2 virus and influenza viruses, cause changes in our metabolism. These changes result in volatile organic chemicals, which are present in exhaled breath. Several … Read more
The microbes that live in the vagina constitute to the vaginal microbiome (or microbiota). New research from the lab of Jacques Ravel at the University of Maryland shows that Chlamydia infection is associated with a different composition of the vaginal microbiome compared with the microbiome of healthy patients. Additionally, the vaginal microbiome of the patients … Read more
Ferrochelatase in heme biosynthesis Ferrochelatase (FECH) is an enzyme found in mitochondria that adds iron ions (Fe2+) into protoporphyrin to produce heme (Figure 1). This biochemical reaction is critical for cell health. The process is tightly controlled so that cells produce the amount of heme needed and do not accumulate too much of the heme … Read more
Benefits of Off-Target Effects There are many FDA-approved medicines. Most have some “off-target” effects, meaning effects that are not those intended for the drug. Sometimes these off-target effects limit the dose of a drug that can be used to treat the intended disease or symptom. Sometimes these off-target effects are unwanted side effects that the … Read more