Hidden deep-sea proteins could supercharge disease tests
Why it matters: Sharper, quicker disease tests could save lives and curb outbreaks worldwide.
- Durham University and collaborators in Iceland, Norway, and Poland mined extreme‑environment genomes to discover novel DNA‑binding proteins (per source)
- The newly identified proteins exhibit remarkable thermal, pH, and salt stability, making them ideal for biotech applications
- One protein added to LAMP assays accelerated reaction time and lowered detection limits for viral RNA and bacterial DNA, including SARS‑CoV‑2
- Structural analysis provided high‑resolution 3D models, paving the way for engineered diagnostics
Scientists mining DNA from volcanic lakes and deep‑sea vents have uncovered ultra‑stable DNA‑binding proteins that boost LAMP rapid tests, making them faster and more sensitive for pathogens like SARS‑CoV‑2. The international team led by Durham University shows extreme‑environment enzymes could become next‑generation diagnostic tools.
