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Less Toxic Metabolites, More Chemical Product

The first dynamic regulatory system that prevents the build-up of toxic metabolites in engineered microbes has been reported by a team of researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI). The JBEI researchers used their system to double the production in Escherichia coli (E. coli) of amorphadiene, a precursor to the premier antimalarial drug artemisinin.

Using genome-wide transcriptional analysis, the JBEI researchers identified native regions of DNA – called “promoters” – in E. coli that respond to toxic metabolites by promoting the expression of protective genes. They then developed a system based on these promoters for regulating artificial metabolic pathways engineered into the E.coli to enable the bacterium to produce amorphadiene. (more…)

Powerful New Approach to Attack Flu Virus

By Guest PostMay 29, 2012Scienceadaptable virus, avian flu, biopharmaceutical industry, dna deep sequencing, flu epidemics, flu virus, H1N1, H5N1, Israel, kurt stepnitz, la jolla, michigan state university, mutations, nature biotechnology, new approach, pandemic influenza viruses, protein, rehovot, san diego, Science, scripps research institute, smallpox, subtypes, swine flu, therapeutic proteins, tim whitehead, university of washington, weizmann institute

EAST LANSING, Mich. — An international research team has manufactured a new protein that can combat deadly flu epidemics.

The paper, featured on the cover of the current issue of Nature Biotechnology, demonstrates ways to use manufactured genes as antivirals, which disable key functions of the flu virus, said Tim Whitehead, assistant professor of chemical engineering and materials science at Michigan State University.

“Our most potent design has proven effective on the vulnerable sites on many pandemic influenza viruses, including several H1N1 (Spanish flu, Swine flu) and H5N1 (Avian flu) subtypes,” said Whitehead, the paper’s co-lead author. “These new therapeutics are urgently needed, so we were especially pleased to see that it neutralizes H1N1 viruses with potency.” (more…)

Tag Archives: nature biotechnology

Less Toxic Metabolites, More Chemical Product

Powerful New Approach to Attack Flu Virus