One of the chemicals the bacteria seemed particularly drawn to was serine, an amino acid found in human blood that is also a common ingredient in protein drinks. The research finding, published in ...

"L-serine, this particular amino acid that we used, [...] we can build it in our bodies, ourselves," researcher Max Riekeles, who is helping to develop the alien-hunting device, told Mashable.

How do enzymes cause tremendous increases in reaction rates? Learn how a group of enzymes called the serine proteases work.

Abide Therapeutics is mining one such enzyme superfamily, the serine hydrolases (SHs). Comprising over 200 members, the SH enzyme family has considerable untapped potential and has already yielded ...