Researchers Use Atomic Force Microscopy to Analyze Deep-Sea Mystery Molecules
Cephalandole A Atomic force microscopy unveiled the previously unknown structure of cephalandole A, a chemical compound that could lead to new drugs. via PhysOrg A molecule-mapping method developed by IBM researchers has unveiled the structure of a deep-sea compound, and the process could lead to faster drug development, according to a new study. Using atomic force microscopy, researchers in Scotland and Switzerland were able to see the molecular structure of a marine compound recovered from the Mariana Trench, whose chemical composition was unknown. And it took only a week to figure it out. Previously, molecular imaging has relied on indirect methods like X-ray crystallography, which bounces X-rays off a molecule, or nuclear magnetic resonance imaging, which examines how the atoms of a molecule absorb radio waves. But the new technique is akin to taking a snapshot or blueprint of the molecule. Ultimately, the scientists realized they were looking at a compound that...