New group of antibacterial molecules identified

International research group discovers promising scaffold for antimicrobial agents

19-Nov-2021 - Researchers at Karolinska Institutet, Umeå University, and the University of Bonn have identified a new group of molecules that have an antibacterial effect against many antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Since the properties of the molecules can easily be altered chemically, the hope is to develop ...

Membrane vesicles released by bacteria may play different roles during infection

18-Sep-2017 - Bacteria release membrane-derived vesicles (MVs), which are small particles that can transport virulence factors to neighbouring bacteria or to the cells of a mammalian host. This special MV-based system for delivering toxic proteins and nucleic acids in a protected manner to the target cells may ...

Spotting the invisible

Mapping structures and functions of a transient enzyme state

02-Jun-2017 - Chemists at Umeå University have succeeded in mapping structures and functions of a transient enzyme state. By modifying the enzyme adenylate kinase, researchers were able to isolate the molecule and study it using the quantitative techniques X-ray crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance ...

Aggregated protein in nerve cells can cause ALS

06-May-2016 - Persons with the serious disorder ALS, can have a genetic mutation that causes the protein SOD1 to aggregate in motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. Researchers at Umeå University have discovered that, when injected into mice, the SOD1 aggregation spreads rapidly leading to ALS. ALS, ...

'Invisible' protein structure explains the power of enzymes

07-Jul-2015 - A research group at Umeå University in Sweden has managed to capture and describe a protein structure that, until now, has been impossible to study. The discovery lays the base for developing designed enzymes as catalysts to new chemical reactions for instance in biotechnological applications. ...