NTU protein study could improve understanding of disease

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.