Quantcast
ZME Science
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    Menu
    Natural Sciences
    Health
    History & Humanities
    Space & Astronomy
    Technology
    Culture
    Resources
    Natural Sciences

    Physics

    • Matter and Energy
    • Quantum Mechanics
    • Thermodynamics

    Chemistry

    • Periodic Table
    • Applied Chemistry
    • Materials
    • Physical Chemistry

    Biology

    • Anatomy
    • Biochemistry
    • Ecology
    • Genetics
    • Microbiology
    • Plants and Fungi

    Geology and Paleontology

    • Planet Earth
    • Earth Dynamics
    • Rocks and Minerals
    • Volcanoes
    • Dinosaurs
    • Fossils

    Animals

    • Mammals
    • Birds
    • Fish
    • Reptiles
    • Amphibians
    • Invertebrates
    • Pets
    • Conservation
    • Animals Facts

    Climate and Weather

    • Climate Change
    • Weather and Atmosphere

    Geography

    Mathematics

    Health
    • Drugs
    • Diseases and Conditions
    • Human Body
    • Mind and Brain
    • Food and Nutrition
    • Wellness
    History & Humanities
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Economics
    • History
    • People
    • Sociology
    Space & Astronomy
    • The Solar System
    • The Sun
    • The Moon
    • Planets
    • Asteroids, Meteors and Comets
    • Astronomy
    • Astrophysics
    • Cosmology
    • Exoplanets and Alien Life
    • Spaceflight and Exploration
    Technology
    • Computer Science & IT
    • Engineering
    • Inventions
    • Sustainability
    • Renewable Energy
    • Green Living
    Culture
    • Culture and Society
    • Bizarre Stories
    • Lifestyle
    • Art and Music
    • Gaming
    • Books
    • Movies and Shows
    Resources
    • How To
    • Science Careers
    • Metascience
    • Fringe Science
    • Science Experiments
    • School and Study
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Health

Drag-and-drop and synthetic DNA self-assembly makes drug design easier

Tibi Puiu by Tibi Puiu
December 6, 2012
in Health, Science

Researchers at  Parabon NanoLabs have developed an unique tool that allows scientists to use an intuitive drag-and-drop computer interface, much like in any other 3-D CAD software like Catia or AutoCAD, together with  DNA self-assembly techniques, to develop and test new drugs much faster.

A collection of pharmaceutical molecules is shown after self-assembly. (c) Parabon NanoLabs
A collection of pharmaceutical molecules is shown after self-assembly. (c) Parabon NanoLabs

Called the  Parabon Essemblix Drug Development Platform, the tool can be used to design molecular pieces with specific, functional components. Some molecules are currently used to identify cancer cells, others are capable of latching to cancer cells, while others kill them. Combining them renders mixed effects. After the design is saved, a cloud supercomputing platform that uses proprietary algorithms to search for specific sets of DNA sequences that can self-assemble those components. With a proper sequence in place that works, scientists chemically synthesize trillions of identical copies of the designed molecules. The development phase of the drug is now cut to weeks even days instead of months or even years compared to conventional trial and error.

“We can now ‘print,’ molecule by molecule, exactly the compound that we want,” says Steven Armentrout, the principal investigator on the NSF grants and co-developer of Parabon’s technology.

“What differentiates our nanotechnology from others is our ability to rapidly, and precisely, specify the placement of every atom in a compound that we design.”

The new Parabon technology offers precise control over size, charge and the relative placement of components. In vivo experiments, funded by the NSF SBIR award, validated the approach, and Parabon filed a provisional patent for its methods and compounds on May 4, 2011. The final applicationwas published in 2012.

Parabon Essemblix process (credit: Parabon NanoLabs)
Parabon Essemblix process – click for zoom (credit: Parabon NanoLabs)

“When designing a therapeutic compound, we combine knowledge of the cell receptors we are targeting or biological pathways we are trying to affect with an understanding of the linking chemistry that defines what is possible to assemble,” says Hong Zhong, senior research scientist at Parabon and a collaborator on the grants. “It’s a deliberate and methodical engineering process, which is quite different from most other drug development approaches in use today.”

via National Science Foundation.

Was this helpful?


Thanks for your feedback!

Related posts:
  1. New method allows visualizing of protein self-assembly – paves way for nanotech against diseases
  2. Graphene transistors made using DNA assembly
  3. At MIT’s self-assembly lab, materials turn to life
  4. Scientists create artificial material capable of metabolism, self-assembly, movement, and organization — key traits of life
  5. Researchers complete 30% of the synthetic yeast chromosome — synthetic life is just around the corner
Tags: CADDNA self-assemblydrugs

ADVERTISEMENT
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • Reviews
  • More
  • About Us

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

Don’t you want to get smarter every day?

YES, sign me up!

Over 35,000 subscribers can’t be wrong. Don’t worry, we never spam. By signing up you agree to our privacy policy.

✕
ZME Science News

FREE
VIEW