X-Message-Number: 25143 From: "The NanoAging Institute" <> Subject: University of Manchester uses crystals to help battle deadly diseases Date: Tue, 23 Nov 2004 14:43:37 -0500 format=flowed; reply-type=original A groundbreaking technique developed at The University of Manchester, which uses crystals to map 'invisible' parts of molecules, is set to revolutionise drug discovery. The technique, which involves sending beams of neutrons through crystals at freezing temperatures, just a few degrees above 'absolute zero', will for the first time allow scientists to see complete structures of protein molecules, right down to the last atom. The problem faced by scientists using current methods is the fact that it is not possible to detect every atom in a protein's molecular structure, and the structures therefore are incomplete - making drug design more difficult. Professor John R. Helliwell, Professor of Structural Chemistry, who led the research, said: "This has raised the stakes in the world of drug discovery. This methodology will make research in the field more powerful, more effective and more efficient." http://www.nanoaging.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=699 name="diseases.gif" Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64 [ AUTOMATICALLY SKIPPING BASE64 ENCODING! ] Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=25143