It’s a radioactive jungle out there!
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
From bunny suits to fallout shelters – there’s a cottage industry of protecting humans from destroying ourselves. Even our vaccines need to be kept safe from radiation. But how?
Enter Brian Hoffman and team at Northwestern. They were inspired by radiation-resistant bacteria – deinococcus radiodurans. They mimicked its defense mechanisms with a mix of manganese and phosphate molecules.
And? Adding this molecular shield PREVENTS radiation damage to vaccines and other sensitive therapeutic enzymes. This breakthrough could lead to safer, more effective vaccines that stay stable LONGER!
Great! Now I can go down to my bunker, stop worrying, and love the bomb… With a dehydrated martini in hand.
Reference: H. Yang, A. Sharma, M.J. Daly, B.M. Hoffman, The ternary complex of Mn2+, synthetic decapeptide DP1 (DEHGTAVMLK), and orthophosphate is a superb antioxidant, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.121 (51) e2417389121,https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2417389121 (2024).