London, July 4 (IANS) Scientists are focussing on bacteria-killer proteins known as colicins to potentially open the way to new medicines.
A team led by Colin Kleanthous, biology professor from the University of York, will study how colicins use decoys to mimic key parts of the cells’ own protein machinery to evade their defences.

“Colicins are the weapon used in the biological warfare that take place between competing bacteria. Understanding how this group of proteins work could help scientists develop new drug delivery methods to target the bacteria that cause diseases in people,” Kleanthous said.

“It’s as though the colicins are carrying the equivalent of hand grenades which they can deploy without harming themselves,” added Sheena Radford, Kelanthous’ counterpart at the University of Leeds.

The five-year research programme aims to discover how colicins specifically penetrate gram-negative bacteria which are protected by two membrane barriers, said a University of York release.

It will involve collaboration between six groups of scientists from the departments of biology and chemistry at the University of York and the Astbury Centre for Structural and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, at the University of Leeds.