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Synthetic Molecules Emulate Enzyme Behavior
FiReaNGeL writes "Ohio State University chemists have created a synthetic catalyst that can fold its molecular structure into a specific shape for a specific job, similar to natural catalysts. In tests, the chemists caused the catalysts to twist one way or the other, either to form one chemical product or its mirror image. They confirmed the shape of the molecules at each step using techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Being able to quickly produce a catalyst of a particular shape would be a boon for the pharmaceutical and chemical industries."
Things like converting glucose to ATP in the body achieve ~70% efficiency.
Glucose to ATP using glycolysis followed by cellular respiration using the electron transport, the most efficient process, is only about 40% efficient. The rest of the energy is released as heat, which is good for warm blooded creatures like ourselves. In babies, the brown fat makes cellular respiration even less efficient, which keeps them warm.