Designing an alternative to antibiotics
<p><span word="In">In</span> 1928 <span word="a">a</span> <span word="British">British</span> <span word="scientist">scientist</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="a">a</span> "<span word="chance">chance</span> <span word="observation">observation</span>." <span word="He">He</span> <span word="noticed">noticed</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="mold">mold</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="grown">grown</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="bacteria">bacteria</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="culture">culture</span> <span word="plate">plate</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="laboratory">laboratory</span>. <span word="Molds">Molds</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="that">that</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="mold">mold</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="somehow">somehow</span> <span word="gotten">gotten</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="plate">plate</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ability">ability</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="kill">kill</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bacteria">bacteria</span> <span word="around">around</span> <span word="it">it</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="scientist">scientist</span>, <span word="Alexander">Alexander</span> <span word="Fleming">Fleming</span>, <span word="found">found</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="mold">mold</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="member">member</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="common">common</span> <span word="group">group</span> <span word="known">known</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="Penicillium">Penicillium</span>. <span word="Fleming">Fleming</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="scientists">scientists</span> -- <span word="Ernst">Ernst</span> <span word="Boris">Boris</span> <span word="Chain">Chain</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Howard">Howard</span> <span word="Walter">Walter</span> <span word="Florey">Florey</span> -- <span word="went">went</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="win">win</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Nobel">Nobel</span> <span word="Prize">Prize</span> <span word="in">in</span> 1945. <span word="They">They</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="honored">honored</span> "<span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="discovery">discovery</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="penicillin">penicillin</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="curative">curative</span> <span word="effect">effect</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="various">various</span> <span word="infectious">infectious</span> <span word="diseases">diseases</span>."</p><p><span word="Other">Other</span> <span word="powerful">powerful</span> <span word="antibiotics">antibiotics</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="discovered">discovered</span> <span word="since">since</span> <span word="penicillin">penicillin</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="antibiotics">antibiotics</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="become">become</span> <span word="less">less</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="less">less</span> <span word="effective">effective</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="germs">germs</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="designed">designed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="kill">kill</span> <span word="develop">develop</span> <span word="resistance">resistance</span>.</p><p><span word="So">So</span> <span word="scientists">scientists</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="searching">searching</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="ways">ways</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="treat">treat</span> <span word="infections">infections</span>. <span word="Now">Now</span>, <span word="researchers">researchers</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Australia">Australia</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="important">important</span> <span word="discovery">discovery</span>. <span word="Scientists">Scientists</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="Monash">Monash</span> <span word="University">University</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Melbourne">Melbourne</span> <span word="believe">believe</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="antibacterial">antibacterial</span> <span word="viral">viral</span> <span word="protein">protein</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="PlyC">PlyC</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="alternative">alternative</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="antibiotics">antibiotics</span>.</p><p><span word="This">This</span> <span word="protein">protein</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="identified">identified</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="possible">possible</span> <span word="treatment">treatment</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="infections">infections</span> <span word="in">in</span> 1925. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="research">research</span> <span word="ended">ended</span> <span word="following">following</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="discovery">discovery</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="antibiotics">antibiotics</span>.</p><p><span word="Now">Now</span>, <span word="scientists">scientists</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="spent">spent</span> <span word="six">six</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="studying">studying</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="structure">structure</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="protein">protein</span>. <span word="They">They</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="found">found</span> <span word="how">how</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="kills">kills</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bacteria">bacteria</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="cause">cause</span> <span word="sore">sore</span> <span word="throats">throats</span>, <span word="pneumonia">pneumonia</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="streptococcal">streptococcal</span> <span word="toxic">toxic</span> <span word="shock">shock</span> <span word="syndrome">syndrome</span>.</p><p><span word="Australian">Australian</span> <span word="researchers">researchers</span> <span word="worked">worked</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="scientists">scientists</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Rockefeller">Rockefeller</span> <span word="University">University</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="New">New</span> <span word="York">York</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="University">University</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Maryland">Maryland</span>. <span word="Their">Their</span> <span word="findings">findings</span> <span word="appear">appear</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Proceedings">Proceedings</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="National">National</span> <span word="Academy">Academy</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Sciences">Sciences</span>.</p>
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