Harnessing Ribosomes: Unlocking the Potential of Chemical Libraries
Originally Published 2 years ago — by Phys.org
A research team at the University of California, Irvine has developed a new method for creating large collections of chemical compounds used in drug discovery by utilizing ribosomes, the molecules responsible for protein synthesis. This innovative technique replaces the labor-intensive process of manually synthesizing and screening chemical libraries, allowing for the rapid discovery of new drugs. The team successfully generated gel beads containing ribosomes, RNA polymerase, and DNA cores that encode specific peptide molecules. This approach enables the synthesis and screening of vast libraries in parallel, advancing pharmaceutical discoveries and potentially benefiting other fields such as enzyme engineering and material development.