The first crystal structure of Cysteine protease from Clostridium difficile
Tuesday, December 9, 2014 - 08:30
in Biology & Nature
The bacterium Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) is a major health concern, particularly in the hospital environment, and counteracting it is problematic due to a poor understanding of the mechanism by which it colonises the gut. A team of structural biologists from the University of Bath and Public Health England (Porton Down) have made a breakthrough in determining the crystal structure of a protease key in the generation of the surface of the bacterium.