Folding Forum

I just came across an interesting article describing a new approach to attack antibiotic resistance. Here's a link to the article:

http://motherboard.vice.com/read/destro ... ce-forever

Here's a quote from the article:

"Seven LPS transport proteins form a trans-envelope protein complex responsible for the transport of LPS from the inner membrane to the outer membrane, the mechanism for which is poorly understood," the study reports. "LptE [one of the transport proteins] adopts a roll-like structure located inside the barrel of LptD to form an unprecedented two-protein 'barrel and plug' architecture," that allows membrane building materials out, but prevents drugs or damaging immune system agents from getting it.

I don't really understand the science here, but I do recognize that a key mechanism involved in antibiotic resistance has a protein component that is poorly understood. Antibiotic resistance is an imminent threat to almost everyone, and it's getting worse every day.

Is this area of research one where FAH could help out ?

That looks worthwhile. It is the type of thing that drug companies are reluctant to spend research money on because there are not large payoffs for antibiotics, since they are taken for only a short period of time. If it is the type of thing where you can attack the seven LPS transport proteins by inducing mis-folding for example, then that could be a great thing. But the experts will need to take over from here.

JimF wrote:That looks worthwhile. ... But the experts will need to take over from here.

Thanks for the reply. I was beginning to wonder whether my post was so far off the mark that it wouldn't get any response. There's always the risk of getting something wrong when dealing with things that you don't really understand.

I wonder how the scientists decide which projects to research ? It would be interesting to find out how that process works.

Nert wrote:...I wonder how the scientists decide which projects to research ? It would be interesting to find out how that process works.

Since NIH (National Institutes of Health) funds F@H, the F@H Projects undergo the NIH peer review (viewtopic.php?p=265157#p265157).