Now, an enzyme that cleans up pollution from RDX
October 10th, 2009 - 3:33 pm ICT by IANSLondon, Oct 10 (IANS) Scientists have uncovered the structure of an unusual enzyme which can be used to reverse the contamination of land caused by RDX explosive.
The discovery, by scientists from the York University Structural Biology Lab and the Centre for Novel Agricultural Products, will support the development of plants that can help tackle pollution from RDX.
Gideon Grogan from the York Lab, said: “The biological process for tackling the pollution caused by RDX already exists but we need to find ways of making it work faster and on the scale required.
“This research significantly improves our understanding of the structure of this enzyme and is therefore an important step towards exploiting its unusual properties.”
Neil Bruce, from the Centre for Novel Agricultural Products, said: “RDX is toxic and a possible carcinogen so it is important to identify ways of stopping it polluting land and water supplies.
“We have already had significant success in engineering plants that can perform this task and this research will help further refine that technique,” said Bruce, according to a York release.
The latest findings were published in The Journal of Biological Chemistry.
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Tags: agricultural products, biological process, carcinogen, contamination, discovery, gideon, grogan, journal of biological chemistry, land and water, london, plants, pollution, rdx, scientists, structural biology lab, unusual properties, water supplies, york university
