Down to the atom: Bacterial skeleton in close-up
Monday, December 7, 2015 - 09:05
in Physics & Chemistry
For a long time, bacteria were considered to be primitive structures, and it was not until the most modern of imaging techniques were used that their fine inner structure was discovered. A biophysicist has now succeeded in zooming in right up close: With the aid of a new technique of structural elucidation, he was able to show the basic building block of a bacterial skeleton down to atomic detail. The bactofilin investigated only occurs in bacteria and may thus become a starting point for new antibiotics.