McGill University researchers have discovered how certain microbes create potent drugs like antibiotics and anti-cancer therapies.
Their surprising findings could change the way scientists approach drug discovery and pave the way to the designing of next-generation medications, explained Martin Schmeing, principal investigator and professor in McGill’s Department of Biochemistry and Centre for Structural Biology.
Bacteria can store extra resources for the lean times. It’s a bit like keeping a piggy bank or carrying a backup battery pack. One important reserve is known as cyanophycin granules, which were first noticed by an Italian scientist about 150 years ago. He saw big, dark splotches in the cells of the blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) he was studying without understanding either what they were or their purpose.
The health sciences research arm of the Quebec government [Fonds de recherche du Québec – santé (FRQS)] today announced it will provide $2 million to assist in the establishment of the Centre de Recherche en Biologie Structurale (CRBS) at McGill University. The new centre will become the premiere Structural Biology facility in Quebec and a leading centre in Canada, and aims to facilitate structural biology and biophysics for the broader scientific community for the next wave of scientific breakthroughs
