Sarah Braner

New York

Assistant Editor at C&EN

*checking twitter v intermittently!* life sciences @cenmag, prev @thisisinsider @slate @cnn. we don't need to talk about when i was at the messenger 🤪

Articles

Grove Biopharma launches to develop therapeutic protein-like polymers

3 weeks ago | cen.acs.org | Sarah Braner

Grove Biopharma has raised a $30 million series A round to develop Bionic Biologics, also known as protein-like polymers (PLP), which were invented by Nathan Gianneschi at Northwestern University. A PLP is a polymer of peptides that mimics a protein but is more stable and more cell permeable. It is composed of a hydrophobic, semiflexible backbone and hydrophilic ends. That structure causes the PLP to fold in on itself in an aqueous solution, mimicking a globular protein.
AI-assisted proteomics investigates rare liver disease

4 weeks ago | cen.acs.org | Sarah Braner

As the field of proteomics continues to advance, scientists are using new methods to answer longstanding questions about rare diseases. One such disease is α-1-antitrypsin deficiency (AATD), a proteotoxic liver disease, in which misfolded and unfolded proteins cause cell death. In this case, a deletion in the gene for α-1-antitrypsin leads to a misfolded mutant, which accumulates and eventually results in cell death.
Small molecule rescues unstable mitochondrial enzyme

1 month ago | cen.acs.org | Sarah Braner

Cells can't operate without the power supplied by working mitochondria. When the mechanisms that replicate or repair mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) fail, it can cause a wide range of syndromes for which there are few to zero existing treatment options. One of the causes of these syndromes is a misbehaving mtDNA polymerase called POLG. Mutations or deletions in the gene for POLG yield defective polymerases that cannot stay on the mtDNA template, thus leaving the enzyme's tasks incomplete.
A bioluminescent probe to track RNA

1 month ago | cen.acs.org | Sarah Braner

While great strides have been made in exploring the world of RNA, mysteries remain-and one approach to solving them is to look at what exactly a strand of RNA is doing in a cell in real time.
Treating a deadly childhood cancer with a sideways approach

1 month ago | cen.acs.org | Sarah Braner

Neuroblastomas are the most common cancer in infants, with about 700-800 diagnoses per year in the US, according to the American Cancer Society. Some of the most high-risk cases are driven by elevated expression of the protein N-Myc, a transcription factor that causes increased cell proliferation. N-Myc is difficult to target in part because its structure is more malleable than that of a rigid protein.
Enodia gums up protein pathways for a good cause

2 months ago | cen.acs.org | Sarah Braner

In the world of protein degradation, sometimes a spanner in the works isn't an inconvenience but the desired result. Paris-based Enodia Therapeutics has launched out of France's Pasteur Institute and the Argobio Studio to design small molecules that strategically throw a wrench in the processing of undesired proteins. Protein synthesis involves multiple steps that scientists can target to get rid of unwanted proteins. Enodia focuses on one of the earlier steps.
Something smells off about this enzyme

2 months ago | cen.acs.org | Sarah Braner

Skatole is an infamously smelly molecule that, in some anaerobic bacteria, is synthesized from ʟ-tryptophan in a four-step process. Now, researchers have found that certain aerobic bacteria only need one enzyme to get a similar job done. Bradley Moore and his team at the University of San Diego have discovered a diiron oxidase enzyme in cyanobacteria called SktA, which converts 5-bromo-ʟ-tryptophan into 5-bromoskatole, cyanide, and carbon dioxide in one step ( J. Am. Chem. Soc.
Designer enzymes take a big step forward

2 months ago | cen.acs.org | Sarah Braner

While protein design is experiencing a period of rapid development and advancement, there's one particularly challenging class of proteins that's giving researchers a hard time: enzymes. Now researchers from David Baker's group at the University of Washington's Institute for Protein Design have made a significant step forward. According to results published in Science Feb.
Why do bats play host to so many viruses?

Jan 30, 2025 | cen.acs.org | Sarah Braner

Bats harbor many viruses that can spill over into humans, including Marburg, Ebola, and famously SARS-CoV-2. But while these viruses often cause severe illness in humans, they do not appear to hamper bats. A new study offers a clue to why bats can tolerate so many viruses that can be fatal to humans. Researchers led by Michael Hiller at the LOEWE Centre for Translational and Biodiversity Genomics and Aaron T.
How the bone marrow microbiome responds to immunotherapy

Jan 27, 2025 | cen.acs.org | Sarah Braner

A new study has given leukemia researchers a powerful new dataset and collection of analytical methods-and a starting point for future research. One common treatment for leukemia is hematopoietic stem cell transplant, or HSCT. This transplant replaces bone marrow lost to disease or chemotherapy, and it can induce a powerful immunologic response that combats leukemia cells.