NASA has confirmed that dust from the ancient asteroid Bennu contains tryptophan, an amino acid tied both to human mood and ...

Using quantum chemical methods, a team of researchers has solved one of the oldest puzzles of biochemistry. They uncovered why there are 20 amino acids that form the basis of all life today, even ...

Researchers demonstrated how amino acids could spontaneously attach to RNA under early Earth-like conditions using thioesters, providing a long-sought clue to the origins of protein synthesis. This ...

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. These molecules come together to form proteins. Your body uses them for many important functions, such as making hormones, building muscle, and ...

Although the myriad proteins found in all life are largely built from a set of 20 amino acids, many other amino acids exist in nature, and it remains a curiosity as to why some were ultimately ...

Essential amino acids are organic compounds that your body needs to function. You can get them from certain foods. Amino acids, often referred to as the building blocks of proteins, are compounds that ...

Amino acids are the building blocks of life and are encoded by DNA. Enzymes and structural proteins are made of amino acids, and are used as precursors for other important biomolecules in the body. In ...

Tryptophan, the essential amino acid behind the Thanksgiving myth that eating turkey can make you sleepy, has been found to exist on Bennu, a small asteroid that swings by our planet about every six ...

Glutamine is an amino acid produced by the body and found in food. It supports your body’s immune and digestive systems. Glutamine is an important amino acid with many functions in the body. It is a ...

Colino is a contributor for TIME. Colino is a contributor for TIME. Amino acid supplements have soared in popularity in recent years. Social-media influencers peddle them with promises that they’ll ...