A team of UK researchers has developed a groundbreaking technology that allows them to isolate and study individual proteins in real-time. With the ability to detect changes to proteins before symptoms of illnesses become apparent, this could revolutionize our ability to identify and treat a range of diseases much earlier, improving survival rates and reducing healthcare costs. The team used a specifically engineered nanostructure made of gold to hold individual proteins in fluid to avoid destroying them, and high concentrations of light to generate the right amount of force. Using this breakthrough technology, the researchers were able to study ferritin, a protein in the blood that stores and releases iron to prevent diseases associated with iron dysregulation such as anaemia. The technology can also mimic the body’s environment, which makes it possible to study proteins in their natural liquid state. The findings are published in the Nano Letters journal.
