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Without enzyme catalyst, slowest known biological reaction takes 1 trillion years

Researchers have found a biological transformation that occurs at an astonishingly slow rate of 1 trillion years in the absence of an enzyme catalyst. Enzymes can speed up this reaction by millions of times. This discovery provides insight into how natural selection has evolved enzymes to accelerate biochemical processes.

SourceUniversity of North Carolina Health Care·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateMay 5, 2003

Researchers elucidate machinery of major anti-cancer target

A team of researchers from Duke University has made significant breakthroughs in understanding the mechanism of FTase, a key player in cancer development. The study revealed that FTase doesn't release its product until another substrate molecule arrives, suggesting a new role for the enzyme beyond molecular seamstressing.

SourceDuke University·JournalNature·DateOct 9, 2002