RSC Chemical Biology Blog

We’re pleased to inform you that this new themed collection from RSC Chemical Biology has now been published online.

Read the collection here

As both chemical and biological engineering approaches continue to expand, the landscape of biomolecular technologies is rapidly evolving, affording new opportunities from basic science to real-world applications. Guest Edited by Prof. Sheel Dodani (The University of Texas at Dallas; ORCID 0000-0003-0271-6080) and Prof. Ariel Furst (Massachusetts Institute of Technology; ORCID 0000-0001-9583-9703), this themed collection brings together engineered biomolecule-based technologies spanning small molecules, nucleic acids, and proteins, with applications in biocatalysis, biosensing, and synthetic biology. Each study showcases the modular and tunable nature of biomolecular design to tailor properties for function in both aqueous solutions and biological environments.

The articles in this collection are featured below. All articles in RSC Chemical Biology are open access and free to read.

Introduction to “Biomolecular Technologies”

Sheel C. Dodani and Ariel Furst

RSC Chem. Biol., 2025, DOI: 10.1039/D5CB90031J

A chemigenetic indicator based on a synthetic chelator and a green fluorescent protein for imaging of intracellular sodium ions

Shiori Takeuchi, Shosei Imai, Takuya Terai and Robert E. Campbell

RSC Chem. Biol., 2025, 6, 170–174 DOI: 10.1039/D4CB00256C

An expanded substrate scope for cross-chiral ligation enables efficient synthesis of long L-RNAs

Xuan Han and Jonathan T. Sczepanski

RSC Chem. Biol., 2025, 6, 209–217 DOI: 10.1039/D4CB00253A

Functionalization of a versatile fluorescent sensor for detecting protease activity and temporally gated opioid sensing

Jennifer Sescil, Hailey Fiel, Steven M. Havens, Emma Fu, Xingyu Li, Kayla E. Kroning, Isabel Solowiej, Peng Li and Wenjing Wang

RSC Chem. Biol., 2025, 6, 555–562 DOI: 10.1039/D4CB00276H

Regulating ferredoxin electron transfer using nanobody and antigen interactions

Albert Truong and Jonathan J. Silberg

RSC Chem. Biol., 2025, 6, 746–753 DOI: 10.1039/D4CB00257A

Real-time bioluminescence imaging of nitroreductase in breast cancer bone metastasis

Kang Lu, Mengxi Zhang, Zuotong Tian and Han Xiao

RSC Chem. Biol., 2025, 6, 754–760 DOI: 10.1039/D4CB00310A

We hope you enjoy this new themed collection from RSC Chemical Biology.

Join the Keystone Symposia for Proximity-Based Therapeutics: Targeted Protein Degradation and Other Pharmacological Approaches from February 16-19, 2025, at the Eldorado Hotel & Spa in Santa Fe, NM. Organised by Dr Philip Chamberlain from Neomorph, and Dr Fleur M. Ferguson, from the University of California, San Diego, this symposium promises to unravel the latest advancements in targeted protein degradation (TPD) and chemically-induced proximity.

This symposium is a great event for researchers, clinicians, and industry leaders keen on translating cutting-edge discoveries into clinical applications. With sessions covering biochemistry, drug discovery, and digital bioengineering, attendees will delve into the clinical pharmacology of targeted protein degraders and explore new modalities that harness cellular processes for therapeutic benefit.

Engage with pioneers in the field through exclusive speaker sessions and a dedicated Career Roundtable. This unique opportunity allows trainees and early-career investigators to connect with leaders from academia and industry, offering invaluable career advice and networking prospects.

Join the Keystone Symposia Community
Stay updated with the latest conference news and announcements by subscribing to their newsletter. Be the first to know about program updates, speaker reveals, and exclusive offers.

Sign up for newsletters here.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to shape the future of proximity-based therapeutics. Register now and secure your place among the leaders driving innovation in TPD and induced proximity.

Visit the official conference page for more details and to register.

RSC Chemical Biology and RSC Pharmaceutics are extending the submission deadline for the upcoming themed collection on ‘Endocytosis and Cellular Delivery‘.

The new deadline for submissions is 30 April 2025

Articles can be submitted to either of the two journals depending on the topic of the manuscript and how well it fits in to the journal’s scope. Authors who contribute their work to RSC Pharmaceutics will benefit from a full waiver of the article processing charges, so their work can be published and read at no cost.

Guest Edited by Prof. Alexander Kros (Leiden University), Prof. Vince Rotello (University of Massachusetts) and Prof. Georgina Such (University of Melbourne), this collection will explore how both biological and synthetic tools can be leveraged to understand the impact of material structure on the migration of specific cellular barriers, aiming to enhance the delivery efficiency of macromolecules and delivery systems such as liposomes, lipid nanoparticles, and polymeric carriers. Key topics will include the following:

1. Novel tools to understand and quantify cellular trafficking of nanoparticles and their cargo, including processes such as endosomal escape, membrane fusion, cytosolic delivery and nuclear localisation.
2. Fundamental understanding of how nanoparticle structure impacts cellular interactions.
3. Design of new delivery systems that incorporate intelligent strategies to migrate biological barriers for more effective therapeutic delivery.
4. Novel tools, methodologies to understand and quantify cell uptake and the fate of the multiple components in drug delivery systems.
5. Tools/basic understanding on the role of the protein corona on the fate of the particles beyond the very general basic level.

Articles can be submitted via the respective journal’s website, rsc.li/rsc-chembio or rsc.li/RSCPharma. Information on the journals’ scopes can be found at the bottom of this message. We would be grateful if, upon submission you would mention that your manuscript is intended for this themed collection.  Please note that all submissions are subject to the journal’s normal peer review processes, an initial assessment to confirm the manuscript’s suitability for full peer review.

Promotion of the collection is scheduled for  mid-2025, with articles published online as soon as they’re accepted.

About RSC Chemical Biology

Led by Hiroaki Suga (University of Tokyo), RSC Chemical Biology is dedicated to publishing and disseminating the most exceptionally significant, breakthrough findings of interest to the chemical biology community. All submissions are handled by our experienced and internationally recognised Associate Editors. For more information on the journal, please visit the journal homepage.

About RSC Pharmaceutics

RSC Pharmaceutics acknowledges how chemistry and related disciplines can make a big difference to addressing health challenges. The journal provides a platform to publish crucial research on pharmaceutics, covering emerging technologies and techniques in pharmaceutics, including drug delivery, precision medicine, and enhanced drug targeting. Publications in RSC Pharmaceutics have the potential to drive real change in worldwide health. For more information on the journal, please visit the journal homepage.

As gold open access journals, there are no barriers to accessing content and your research article will reach an international audience.

Article processing charges apply at RSC Chemical Biology – please see the journal web site for details on fees, discounts, and waivers. RSC Pharmaceutics is currently waiving article processing charges for all submissions.

“I am thrilled to join the Advisory Board of RSC Chemical Biology and look forward to working with colleagues

to elevate the global impact of the field of chemical biology.”

We’re excited to announce that Dr Haian Fu has joined the RSC Chemical Biology journal as an Advisory Board Member.

Dr Fu is the Professor and Chair of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology at Emory University School of Medicine. He’s also the Associate Dean for Therapeutic Discovery and co-directs the Emory Centre for New Medicines. With his team, Dr Fu works on finding new ways to target important protein interactions to develop treatments for diseases.

Dr Fu’s research on 14-3-3 proteins, which help control many processes in our cells, has been ground-breaking. These insights have opened new opportunities for drug discovery. Dr Fu has also been very active in the chemical biology community, co-founding the International Chemical Biology Society and serving as its president.

We’re truly thrilled to have Dr Fu join the RSC Chemical Biology team, and we look forward to the valuable perspective he’ll bring to the journal.

Join us on Thursday, 12 September 2024 at:

• 15:00 – 16:15 China Standard Time
• 8:00 – 9:30 Greenwich Mean Time

Click here to
register for FREE

We are thrilled to announce the launch of the prestigious Outstanding Early Career Research Award, aimed at recognising and celebrating outstanding contributions to RSC Chemical Biology. This initiative seeks to honour the dedication, innovation, and impactful research of promising early career researchers.

Benjamí Oller-Salvia and his team are such remarkable individuals. In their paper, BrainBike peptidomimetic enables efficient transport of proteins across brain endothelium,  Prof Oller Salvia introduced BrainBikes, a novel family of bicyclic protease-resistant peptide shuttles designed to overcome the challenge of delivering protein therapeutics to the brain.

Protein therapeutics face a challenge in reaching the brain due to their low permeability across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Despite previous attempts with brain shuttle peptides to enhance BBB transport of some therapeutics, effectively transporting protein cargoes remains difficult. In this study, the researchers introduce BrainBikes, a new family of bicyclic protease-resistant peptide shuttles capable of increasing transport of proteins, including antibody derivatives.

Using a trifunctional chemical linker, several bicyclic analogues are generated from a linear peptide targeting the transferrin receptor (TfR1). These analogues show increased metabolic resistance, with one variant, BrainBike-4 (BB4), demonstrating a high affinity for cells with high levels of TfR1. Initially, the researchers demonstrated that BB4 can enhance the transport of a model fluorescent protein by fourfold. Subsequently, BB4 is site-specifically conjugated to a single chain variable antibody fragment (scFv) using a chemoenzymatic approach. Conjugation of BB4 leads to a fivefold increase in the transport of the scFv in a human cell-based model of the BBB.

These results highlight the potential of bicyclic peptidomimetics as brain shuttles and present new opportunities for the transport of biotherapeutics across the BBB.

Meet the team

• Maria Lucana pursued her undergraduate studies in Chemistry at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Currently, she serves as a predoctoral researcher in Bioengineering at IQS – Ramon Llull University. Within the ChemSynBio group, Maria focuses on the development of shuttle peptides and nanocarriers aimed at enhancing therapeutic transport across the blood-brain barrier.
• Roberta Lucchi‘s academic journey began with Biotechnology studies at “La Sapienza” University in Rome. Following an enriching one-year internship at Nippon Kayaku Co. Ltd in Tokyo, funded by the “Vulcanus in Japan” program, she joined Dr Benjamí Oller-Salvia’s laboratory at IQS – Ramon Llull University. Here, she completed her PhD, focusing on the development of stimuli-responsive biotherapeutics, generously supported by an FPU scholarship from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities.
• Fabien Gosselet, a distinguished figure in academia, holds the position of full professor at Université d’Artois. He received his PhD training at the Gustave Roussy Institute (IGR) and conducted postdoctoral research at the Blood-brain Barrier (BBB) laboratory (LBHE) in Lens. Since 2015, he has led the BBB Laboratory, delving into crucial areas such as the role of diet in amyloid clearance, relationships between cholesterol, BBB, and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), as well as exploring vectors for crossing the BBB.
• Cristina Díaz-Perlas brings a wealth of experience to the ChemSynBio group at IQS – Ramon Llull University as a Marie Curie postdoctoral researcher. Her academic journey includes PhD studies conducted in Prof. Ernest Giralt’s laboratory at IRB Barcelona, followed by postdoctoral research at EPFL in Switzerland under the guidance of Prof. Christian Heinis. In her current role, Cristina leads the research line on peptide and antibody phage display development, actively contributing to the discovery of efficient transport systems across the blood-brain barrier.
• Benjamí Oller-Salvia is an associate professor at IQS – Ramon Llull University. He completed his PhD in Prof. Ernest Giralt’s laboratory at IRB Barcelona, followed by postdoctoral research with Prof Jason Chin at the MRC LMB in Cambridge. Leading the ChemSynBio group at IQS, Benjamí combines chemical and synthetic biology to explore transport mechanisms across the blood-brain barrier. His research aims to generate smart biotherapeutics targeting brain diseases, generously supported by funding from the European Research Council.

About being awarded by the Editorial Board of RSC Chemical Biology, the winners commented: “We are immensely honoured and proud to receive this award. This prize is a recognition of the hard work and dedication of a wonderful research team that was the seed of the ChemSynBio group at IQS in Barcelona. This award motivates us to continue pushing the boundaries of the challenging field of brain delivery.”

As they continue to push the boundaries of scientific innovation, the possibilities for treating neurological disorders grow ever brighter. With each discovery, they edge closer to realizing their vision of a future where no disease is beyond the reach of effective treatment.

Join us on LinkedIn to celebrate Prof Oller-Salvia and the team!