Illuminating... Life Science

Scientists use synchrotron light to answer a range of fundamental biological questions. An example would be in understanding the role of proteins. Proteins are essential molecules in all different organisms. By using Diamond biologists, are able to visualise the structure of these proteins, which aims at understanding their function and how they work within the cell. Once we know the structure of the protein scientists can use this information to, for example, design drugs to interact with the protein and interfere with its function, which could then lead to new therapeutics for preventing disease.  Other techniques provide essential tools for cancer research. Diamond allows biologists to image single cells; this can provide the basis for the development of new methods for identifying normal cells as opposed to cancerous cells, and can aid researchers in understanding cancer.

Life Science Case Study 1: Diamond and Drug Development

To develop a new drug, we first need to understand how the disease or condition works. Researchers might look for a protein which is critical to the survival of a bacterium or virus, or one which allows it to infect humans. Once a target protein has been identified, scientists use Diamond to understand its structure and how the protein carries out its job. They can then design a drug which fits into the protein to block it, or in some cases, alters its structure to make it work better.  >> Read more...

Life Science Case Study 2: Understanding Bacterial Lifestyle Choices

All cell types, from simple bacterium to rather more complicated human cells have to communicate if things have changed in their environment. Rick Lewis from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne has been investigating the way in which a bacterium responds to changes in its environment that make it feel stressed, such as a change in temperature or a change in the pH of the soil the bacteria lives in.  >> Read more...