Researchers have identified a swinging motion built around the amino acid histidine that controls how hydrogenase enzymes capture protons, according to AZoCleantech. The outlet reported the finding on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, describing the mechanism as a "histidine pendulum."
The discovery concerns the way hydrogenase enzymes take up protons, a step central to their activity. According to AZoCleantech, the pendulum-like movement driven by histidine is what directs this proton capture.
Hydrogenases are enzymes that work with hydrogen, and understanding how they handle protons is relevant to research into biological hydrogen processes. AZoCleantech frames the finding as a structural insight into how the enzyme performs this function.
The report does not include further detail on the research team, the methods used, or where the work was published.
Watch for follow-up coverage that names the researchers and journal behind the study, and for any assessment of how the pendulum mechanism might inform enzyme engineering or hydrogen-related technology.