Antibacterial missiles... microscopic yes!

2001/02/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Osasuna

How to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria? The answer has been the production of new antibiotics. But bacteria develop again and again resistance to new enemies. Researchers from the Scripps Research Institute of California have sought a solution based on nanotechnology and chemistry. They propose to cross the bacterial membranes and use microscopic tubes capable of emptying the internal content. The tubes are a succession of rings formed by amino acids, which so far have been tried but has never been built. The rings have been formed with amino acids that are the mirror one of the other and, subsequently, hydrogen atoms have been used to join the rings. An authentic work of art of nanotechnology.