Research which has identified a way of making a safer and cheaper polio vaccine is to be scaled-up – to see if it could be used in commercial vaccine production. The new approach, which has the potential to revolutionise vaccine development across the board, is the result of a scientific collaboration led by the University....
Scientists from Yorkshire have solved the structure of one of the key components of photosynthesis. This discovery could lead to photosynthesis being ‘redesigned’ to achieve higher yields and meet urgent food security needs. The research, published on 13 November in the journal Nature, reveals the structure of cytochrome b6f - the protein complex that significantly influences...
Hospital screening tests are failing to identify the true extent of microbial resistance, according to new research. Scientists have found that disease-causing bacteria carry antibiotic resistance genes that are dormant as a result of a genetic mutation. During screening, the bacteria appear susceptible to antibiotics. But such mutations easily become lost, rapidly transforming the bacteria...
Scientists have developed a new technique to trick bacteria into revealing hundreds of holes in their cell walls, opening the door for drugs that destroy bacteria’s cells. Targeting these pores could make current antibiotics more effective or allow for the development of antibiotic-free drugs that can use these openings. Read more.
The molecular machinery used by ‘superbugs’ to resist chemicals designed to kill them could also help produce precursors for a new generation of nylon and other polymers, according to new research. Scientists from the University of Leeds have collaborated with Australian researchers to identify ancient protein pumps that make infectious bacteria tough to treat, but...
Scientists have developed an integrated computational and experimental approach to investigate the way proteins and peptides – chains of amino acids – aggregate. The study, published in Science Advances, was led by Professor Andrew Wilson, Prof Sheena Radford FRS (both from the Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds), and Prof Carol Hall...
Researchers at the University of Leeds are developing a cheaper and safer way of making the polio vaccine. The pioneering work is featured in the latest MadeAtUni campaign, a celebration of the pioneering research taking place in UK universities. The focus of the campaign is scientists involved in health research and innovation. The Leeds’ team,...
Scientists have identified a new internal regulator that helps control the body’s response to fight infection. The discovery could be a target for new drugs to tackle autoimmune diseases, such as lupus and scleroderma, where healthy tissues are attacked by the body’s own immune system. “We want to put a brake on the body’s own...
Research led by the School of Chemistry and Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology published in a major chemistry journal has been identified as a major step forward in bio-mimetic chemistry. Chemical Science, the flagship journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), has selected Professor Andy Wilson’s article “A Catalytic Protein-Proteomimetic Complex: Using Aromatic...
A protein complex has been shown to play a key role in preventing the build-up of toxic plaques in the brain linked to neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s disease. An international team of researchers from the Universities of Leeds, Stanford (USA) and Konstanz (Germany) have discovered that the nascent polypeptide-associated complex (NAC) helps...