Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by mrpg on Sunday December 09 2018, @04:46PM   Printer-friendly
from the spiderman dept.

Submitted via IRC for SoyCow1984

MIT engineers repurpose wasp venom as an antibiotic drug

The venom of insects such as wasps and bees is full of compounds that can kill bacteria. Unfortunately, many of these compounds are also toxic for humans, making it impossible to use them as antibiotic drugs.

After performing a systematic study of the antimicrobial properties of a toxin normally found in a South American wasp, researchers at MIT have now created variants of the peptide that are potent against bacteria but nontoxic to human cells.

In a study of mice, the researchers found that their strongest peptide could completely eliminate Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a strain of bacteria that causes respiratory and other infections and is resistant to most antibiotics.


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 09 2018, @06:38PM (4 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 09 2018, @06:38PM (#772040)

    There's also the fact that the cinchona tree is significantly rarer than the willow tree, hence quinine was naturally more expensive. Aspirin was synthesized as early as 1853 while quinine wasn't synthesized until 1944.

    But don't let facts ruin the dishonest spirit of your narrative, you lying turd.

    Fuck MDC

    Starting Score:    0  points
    Moderation   -1  
       Troll=1, Total=1
    Extra 'Troll' Modifier   0  

    Total Score:   -1  
  • (Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Sunday December 09 2018, @07:01PM (2 children)

    by MichaelDavidCrawford (2339) Subscriber Badge <mdcrawford@gmail.com> on Sunday December 09 2018, @07:01PM (#772050) Homepage Journal

    Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of Soggy Jobs.

    --
    Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 09 2018, @07:06PM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 09 2018, @07:06PM (#772054)

      As soon as you break the internet with your fabled exploit and bring down every online job board along with it, your Soggy Jobs newsletter will corner the market on job listings.

      Fuck MDC

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday December 10 2018, @01:09AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday December 10 2018, @01:09AM (#772179)

    Salty Spice! How are you? We've missed you and your predictably ineffective exclamations.

    Try to dig up some new material, will you mate? It's getting a bit mundane.