Scientists at the University of Sydney and Australian National University have worked to overcome the inefficiencies in crop photosynthesis by designing a proof-of-concept 'nano-cage' to house the Rubisco protein in plants. This enzyme is critical for turning sunlight into energy in plants - but in most staple crops it is very slow. This discovery opens the door to targeted placement in plant structure to supercharge photosynthesis.

A quick, purification-free method was developed by researchers at Institute of Science Tokyo, to capture the detailed 3D structures of flexible sugar molecules. By growing crystals of galectin-10 protein using a cell-free crystallization process and soaking them in sugar solution, the researchers were able to trap and analyze the molecular arrangement of sugars and their interactions with the protein. This offers a powerful tool to accelerate research in drug discovery and molecular biology.