Move over, lab rats – mammalian cells are stealing the spotlight! Australian researchers just dropped a game-changing protein engineering tool called PROTEUS that could supercharge therapies for cancer and genetic diseases. 🌟🔬
Developed by Sydney's Centenary Institute and University of Sydney, this platform tackles a major medical roadblock: testing therapies in environments that actually resemble human biology. Say goodbye to experiments limited to bacteria and yeast! 🧫➡️🧬
How it works: PROTEUS uses virus-like particles to evolve proteins inside living mammalian cells (think mini evolution chambers!). The kicker? It achieves this without damaging the cells – like upgrading your phone while still using it. 📱⚡
'This is Pokémon evolution for real-world medicine,' quips Dr. Daniel Hesselson, co-senior author. 'We’re creating proteins that actually work in the environments where they’ll be used – human bodies.' 🎮💊
Early wins include:
Supercharging a gene-regulating protein
Creating a nano-body that spots DNA damage (cancer research alert! 🚨)
With Nature Communications publishing the breakthrough, the team's eyes are set on next-gen gene therapies and personalized medicine. As co-author Alex Cole puts it: 'We’re hacking nature’s playbook to build better health solutions.' 💡💉
