Researchers from Ohio State have discovered how a small protein in the immune system can disable dangerous bacterial toxins. The toxins have surfaces that help the bacteria to stay alive. At the same time, though, the pliability of the surfaces make the toxins vulnerable to the immune-system proteins called defensins. Defensins, peptides that consist of… Continue reading The Protein That Zaps Toxins
Tag: peptide
A New Use for Mushrooms?
A couple of poisonous mushrooms may show scientists how to attack deadly diseases. Scientists at Michigan State University have discovered an enzyme, which they have called POPB, that’s key to the potency of poisonous mushrooms. They found that the enzyme helps manufacture chemical compounds known as cyclic peptides, which are often used to create new… Continue reading A New Use for Mushrooms?