[STUDY] New Bacteria With Extreme Amino Acid Synthesizing Ability Can Improve Immune System—but, How?

Here's how researchers accomplished this impossible feat.

A new bacteria with extreme amino acid synthesizing ability was created by a team of researchers.

[STUDY] New Bacteria With Extreme Amino Acid Synthesizing Ability Can Improve Immune System—But, How
Cells containing the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 are seen through a microscope at the Stabilitech laboratory in Burgess Hill south east England, on May 15, 2020 where scientists are trying to develop an oral vaccine for the COVID-19 illness. BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images

This impossible medical feat was achieved by researchers at the University of Delaware.

They published their study's findings in the Nature Chemical Biology journal on May 15.

"Bacteria are potentially useful drug delivery vehicles," said UD Assistant Prof. Aditya Kunjapur via the University of Delaware Daily.

He added that their tool is essential to the health industry since it can leverage the ability of bacteria to produce target antigens.

New Bacteria With Extreme Amino Acid Synthesizing Ability

According to Interesting Engineering's latest report, the new bacteria UD experts are capable of synthesizing an amino acid never observed in the natural world.

[STUDY] New Bacteria With Extreme Amino Acid Synthesizing Ability Can Improve Immune System—But, How
Chilean biotechnologist Nadac Reales shows bacteria samples she works with at her laboratiry on a mining site in Antofagasta, Chile, on September 21, 2021. - In her laboratory in Antofagasta, an industrial town 1,100 kilometers north of Santiago, 33-year-old biotechnologist Nadac Reales has been working with extremophiles, organisms. MARTIN BERNETTI/AFP via Getty Images

This new bacteria can synthesize pN-Phe (para-nitro-L-phenylalanine) at extreme levels.

This unique amino acid is quite special since it can aid the immune system in responding to proteins it commonly ignores.

The University of Delaware experts said that the bacteria is like giving the immune system binoculars so it can easily spot harmful proteins, enabling it to neutralize them.

Dr. Kunjapur explained why this amino acid is important for health.

"It can be attached to a protein from a mouse, reintroduced into mice, and the immune system will no longer tolerate the original version of that protein," said the UD researcher.

How New Bacteria Was Created

UD health experts combined two powerful techniques to create a new platform, which led to the new bacteria.

These techniques are specifically metabolic engineering and genetic code expansion.

Involved researchers said that they want to refine their new platform so that it can be applied to vaccines and immunotherapies.

If the new health platform of the University of Delaware becomes successful, then it could help improve human's immune system. You can click this link to learn more about it.

They believe that their innovation can help the world fight numerous diseases.
Here are other stories we recently wrote about bacteria:

Previously, a new study claimed that antibiotic-resistant bacteria are spreading in fluffy clouds.

Meanwhile, the University of Georgia created a new bacteria-killing superfoam, which can help with environmental disasters.

For more news updates about bacteria and other health topics, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

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