Scientists at UW-Madison have created a new method for quickly detecting small molecules, which has possible applications in military, environmental and health fields.
Vatsan Raman, a biochemistry professor at the university, led the team that created the Sensor-seq method. This approach can screen tens of thousands of protein mutations at the same time, identifying those that can bind to target molecules — such as narcotics — to flag them for various purposes.
In a recent study published in the scientific journal Nature Communications, the team demonstrated how the method could find proteins that sensed naltrexone, a drug that’s approved by the FDA to treat addiction to alcohol and opioids.
By using a “biosensor” that made the proteins glow green when they interacted with the naltrexone, they were able to establish a visual indicator for the presence of this molecule.
“Nature is really good at creating proteins that bind to small molecules with exquisite specificity,” Raman said in a statement. “The question for us was, can we redesign nature’s proteins to bind to whatever small molecule we are interested in detecting.”
The Sensor-seq method provides a faster approach to identifying proteins that can bind to the molecules of interest, according to the university, as existing ways for testing the thousands of possible protein mutations is “cost- and time-prohibitive.”
The research behind the study was done in partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory with support from the U.S. Army, according to the release, due to its potential applications in the military.
Stephanie McElhinny, program manager for the Army Research Office, says the DEVCOM Chemical Biological Center is exploring the possibility of using the Sensor-seq system to “rapidly develop biosensors to protect warfighters from chemical and biological threats, drinking water contaminants, and emerging toxins.”
Raman says the team began with naltrexone due to the “strong need for low-cost ways to detect opioid use” in rural areas with limited health care access.
“But, in principle, we can create a biosensor for any small molecule,” he said. “That is exciting because there are so many commercial applications for this with the potential to transform at-home and field-based health care and environmental health.”
Raman has received a provisional patent for his work, and researchers are now creating computer models to “narrow down” other proteins that could be used to identify more molecules of interest.
See the release.
