The NTU team said the ‘first of its kind’ work enables them to see how a protein 10,000 times thinner than a human hair behaves in its natural environment. This could help better understand proteins linked to disease and how they might respond to certain therapies.
According to the team, the research involves using a very high concentration of light which, when the beam is transmitted through a specifically engineered nano structure, generates the right amount of force to grasp and hold a single protein within fluid without damaging it.
The technology can detect how the light is scattered, and researchers can analyse this data to reveal how the protein is behaving in real-time. The protein is studied in its natural liquid environment, as the team’s technique can mimic the body by altering factors such as salt concentration, pH, or oxygen levels.
As a proof of concept the researchers studied ferritin, a protein in the blood which stores and releases iron to prevent diseases associated with iron dysregulation, such as anaemia.
During the study they were able to distinguish between the ferritin with iron and without – as the data revealed differences in their weight and movement – and even the point at which the ferritin without iron began capturing and storing iron.
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Researchers said the study has deepened understanding of the iron uptake mechanism of ferritin proteins, which could lead to new therapeutics for iron-related diseases.
They explained that until now, studies of ferritin have only been able to use ensemble measurements to quantify the characteristics of a large number of proteins, which provides limited information about their structural changes.
The researchers argue that because protein changes occur before symptoms in illness, their work could make it possible to identify and treat a range of diseases much earlier.
“To be able to see things beyond your eyesight, you first need the right technology. Our nanostructure enables us to observe proteins at the nano-scale,” said lead researcher Dr Cuifeng Ying from Nottingham Trent University’s School of Science and Technology.
Mohsen Rahmani, professor of engineering at NTU and a Royal Society Wolfson Fellow, added: “We can look at lots of proteins and see how they react to different drugs. In the future this breakthrough could play a key role in improving survival rates and reducing healthcare costs. There has previously been no tool to enable us to study proteins in this way without destroying them.”
The study, which also involved Nottingham University and the Adolphe Merkle Institute at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland, is published in the journal Nano Letters.
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