This review article provides an overview of the advances in the field of hydro-conversion of n-alkanes with particular stress on the promising ways to meet the requirements for improved quality of motor fuels and oils, which have been marked during the past decades. Particular attention is given to a catalyst formulation for conversion of n-alkanes to branched hydrocarbons. The particular challenge is to find an effective catalyst, which favors the isomerization of n-alkanes without too much cracking. The regulation of active sites and adsorption properties, as well as the topology of support surfaces, allows a potential predictive design of novel catalysts for conversion of n-alkanes into their branched isomers. Graphical Abstract

Alteration in the pattern of epigenetic marking leads to cancer, neurological disorders, inflammatory problems etc. These changes are due to aberration in histone modification enzymes that function as readers, writers and erasers. Bromodomains (BDs) and BET proteins that recognize acetylation of chromatin regulate gene expression. To block the function of any of these BrDs and/or BET protein can be a controlling agent in disorders such as cancer. BrDs and BET proteins are now emerging as targets for new therapeutic development. Traditional drugs like enzyme inhibitors and protein–protein inhibitors have many limitations. Recently Proteolysis-Targeting Chimeras (PROTACs) have become an advanced tool in therapeutic intervention as they remove disease causing proteins. This review provides an overview of the development and mechanisms of PROTACs for BRD and BET protein regulation in cancer and advanced possibilities of genetic technologies in therapeutics.