Earth scientists have long turned to minute differences in hydrogen atoms to explore the ancient history of our planet. A new study suggests that these same tiny atoms might also lead to new ways to track the growth of cancer.
Scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder and Princeton University have, for the first time, employed a tool often used in geology to detect the atomic fingerprints of cancer.
In the new study, Maloney and her colleagues wondered: Could those same, tiny atoms provide hints about the lives of complex biological organisms? Under normal conditions, the cells of organisms like yeast and animals generate energy through a process called respiration, in which they take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide. But that's not the only way to get a sugar high. Colonies of baker's yeast , for example, can produce energy via fermentation, in which organisms break down sugars without help from oxygen and produce alcohol. It's the same process that gives you beer.
NADPH, however, doesn't always draw from the same pool of hydrogen. Previous research led by Zhang and focusingg on bacteria suggested that, depending on what other enzymes in a cell are doing, NADPH may sometimes use different hydrogen isotopes more or less often.
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