Chemical biology articles from across Nature Portfolio

Chemical biology is the study of the chemicals and chemical reactions involved in biological processes, incorporating the disciplines of bioorganic chemistry, biochemistry, cell biology and pharmacology. Chemicals – including natural small molecules, such as lipids, carbohydrates and metals, or non-natural probe or drug molecules – are used to gain insight into biological problems at a mechanistic level.

Featured

A familiar newcomer to the thermogenetic toolset

Temperature-sensitive proteins promise precise, remote and penetrant control of cells, but few such proteins are currently available. A study finds that certain existing protein switches can moonlight as thermosensors, immediately expanding the landscape of temperature-sensitive probes.
- Zikang ‘Dennis’ Huang
- Lukasz Bugaj
News & Views16 Apr 2026 Nature Chemical Biology
P: 1-2
MESH1 regulates sulfation through the hydrolysis of PAPS

The universal sulfate donor 3′-phosphoadenosine-5′-phosphosulfate (PAPS) supports diverse processes, including bone metabolism and neural function. We identify MESH1 as the long-sought phosphatase that hydrolyzes PAPS to adenosine-5′-phosphosulfate, thereby actively regulating cellular PAPS levels and glycosaminoglycan sulfation. Depletion of MESH1 in animal models demonstrates a key role for MESH1 in regulating sulfation, with implications for bone metabolism and neurotoxicity.

News & Views16 Apr 2026 Nature Chemical Biology
P: 1-2
Illuminating microtubule architecture

CenSpark, a dual-ligand fluorescent probe, enables selective live-cell imaging of centriolar and ciliary microtubule doublets and triplets across eukaryotes. By sensing higher-order architecture rather than tubulin alone, it establishes a new paradigm for labeling specialized cytoskeletal assemblies in cells.
- Rūta Gerasimaitė
- Gražvydas Lukinavičius
News & Views15 Apr 2026 Nature Chemical Biology
P: 1-2

Related Subjects

Latest Research and Reviews

Optimization of drying and packaging strategies for preserving phytochemicals, nutrients, and bioactivity in Bauhinia purpurea petals
- Parthi Ba Rana
- Hardik Shah
- Nafisa Patel
ResearchOpen Access18 Apr 2026 Scientific Reports
P:
Peptide ligands to explore interactions with intrinsically disordered multidomain proteins: the case of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein
- A. S. Tino
- M. Quagliata
- I. C. Felli
ResearchOpen Access18 Apr 2026 Scientific Reports
P:
Nrf2 activation by the monocarbonyl curcumin derivative GO-Y015 confers cellular protection against arsenite toxicity by reducing intracellular arsenic levels
- Md. Tanvir Islam
- Hiroki Taguchi
- Yoshiro Saito
ResearchOpen Access18 Apr 2026 Scientific Reports
P:
Advancing protein engineering via organic chemistry

Selective protein functionalization remains difficult to achieve through conventional molecular biology approaches. Here, the authors summarize recent advances in chemical approaches to protein engineering and highlight their emerging applications in catalysis, functional studies, and therapeutic development.
- Raj V. Nithun
- Manjeet Singh
- Muhammad Jbara
ReviewsOpen Access18 Apr 2026 Communications Chemistry
Volume: 9, P: 161
The patterns of acetylcholinesterases during developmental stages of Aedes aegypti and their susceptibility toward insecticides in egg stage
- Saleh A. Mohamed
- Azza A. Abdel-Aty
- Khaled M. Al-Ghamdi
ResearchOpen Access18 Apr 2026 Scientific Reports
Volume: 16, P: 12730
A unified multi-scale deep learning framework for molecular property prediction that bridges molecular structures and fingerprinting

Accurate prediction of molecular properties is crucial for drug discovery, yet existing models often fail to integrate local and global molecular contexts effectively. Here, the authors present a unified multi-scale graph-fingerprint network (UMSGFNet) that enhances predictive performance and robustness by combining atom-level and substructure-level information.
- Chang Cai
- Mugang Lin
- Dongyuan Huang
ResearchOpen Access17 Apr 2026 Communications Chemistry
P:

All Research & Reviews

News and Comment

A familiar newcomer to the thermogenetic toolset

Temperature-sensitive proteins promise precise, remote and penetrant control of cells, but few such proteins are currently available. A study finds that certain existing protein switches can moonlight as thermosensors, immediately expanding the landscape of temperature-sensitive probes.
- Zikang ‘Dennis’ Huang
- Lukasz Bugaj
News & Views16 Apr 2026 Nature Chemical Biology
P: 1-2
MESH1 regulates sulfation through the hydrolysis of PAPS

The universal sulfate donor 3′-phosphoadenosine-5′-phosphosulfate (PAPS) supports diverse processes, including bone metabolism and neural function. We identify MESH1 as the long-sought phosphatase that hydrolyzes PAPS to adenosine-5′-phosphosulfate, thereby actively regulating cellular PAPS levels and glycosaminoglycan sulfation. Depletion of MESH1 in animal models demonstrates a key role for MESH1 in regulating sulfation, with implications for bone metabolism and neurotoxicity.

News & Views16 Apr 2026 Nature Chemical Biology
P: 1-2
vCATCH enables body-wide in vivo drug distribution mapping

In this Tools of the Trade article, Zhengyuan Pang describes the development and use of volumetric clearing-assisted tissue click chemistry (vCATCH), a pipeline that enables mapping of covalent drug binding at cellular resolution across a mouse body.
- Zhengyuan Pang
Research Highlights15 Apr 2026 Nature Reviews Cancer
P: 1
Illuminating microtubule architecture

CenSpark, a dual-ligand fluorescent probe, enables selective live-cell imaging of centriolar and ciliary microtubule doublets and triplets across eukaryotes. By sensing higher-order architecture rather than tubulin alone, it establishes a new paradigm for labeling specialized cytoskeletal assemblies in cells.
- Rūta Gerasimaitė
- Gražvydas Lukinavičius
News & Views15 Apr 2026 Nature Chemical Biology
P: 1-2
In-cell chemistry enables discovery of cyclic peptide transcription factor inhibitors

In this Tools of the Trade article, Brennan (Mason lab) describes a method that enables cyclization and screening of genetically encoded peptides to target the interaction of transcription factors with DNA.
- Andrew Brennan
Research Highlights14 Apr 2026 Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology
P: 1
Recruiting without destroying

Molecular glues offer a promising avenue for novel therapeutic development. The discovery of CLEO4-88 reveals a non-degradative molecular glue that promotes interaction between the CTLH substrate receptor GID4 and the peroxisomal thiolase ACAA1, inhibiting the enzymatic activity of ACAA1.
- Dominika Ewa Pieńkowska
- Radosław Piotr Nowak
News & Views09 Apr 2026 Nature Chemical Biology
P: 1-2

All News & Comment

Chemical biology articles from across Nature Portfolio

Featured

A familiar newcomer to the thermogenetic toolset

MESH1 regulates sulfation through the hydrolysis of PAPS

Illuminating microtubule architecture

Related Subjects

Latest Research and Reviews

Optimization of drying and packaging strategies for preserving phytochemicals, nutrients, and bioactivity in Bauhinia purpurea petals

Peptide ligands to explore interactions with intrinsically disordered multidomain proteins: the case of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein

Nrf2 activation by the monocarbonyl curcumin derivative GO-Y015 confers cellular protection against arsenite toxicity by reducing intracellular arsenic levels

Advancing protein engineering via organic chemistry

The patterns of acetylcholinesterases during developmental stages of Aedes aegypti and their susceptibility toward insecticides in egg stage

A unified multi-scale deep learning framework for molecular property prediction that bridges molecular structures and fingerprinting

News and Comment

A familiar newcomer to the thermogenetic toolset

MESH1 regulates sulfation through the hydrolysis of PAPS

vCATCH enables body-wide in vivo drug distribution mapping

Illuminating microtubule architecture

In-cell chemistry enables discovery of cyclic peptide transcription factor inhibitors

Recruiting without destroying

Search

Quick links