Physics News

Two new groundbreaking scientific papers by researchers at UC Santa Barbara demonstrate the synthesis of nanosize biological particles with the potential to fight cancer and other illnesses. The studies introduce new approaches that are considered "green" nanobiotechnology because they use no artificial compounds.Luc Jaeger, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at UCSB, explained that there is nothing short of a revolution going on in his field ?? one that permeates all areas of biochemistry, especially his area of nanobiotechnology. The revolution involves understanding the role of RNA in cells."Considering the fact that up to 90 percent of the human genome is transcribed into RNA, it becomes clear that RNA is one of the most important biopolymers on which life is based," said Jaeger. "We are still far from understanding all the tremendous implications of RNA in living cells."Jaeger's team is putting together complex three-dimensional RNA molecules ?? nanosize polyh