Nanocapsules enable cell-inspired metabolic reactions
Metabolic processes inside living organisms involve a large variety of bio-molecules . These molecules are produced by specific enzymatic reactions. One example of such a bio-molecule is glucose-6-phosphate, a metabolite that is involved in important metabolic processes. It is central in the degradation of carbohydrates and can also be converted further into specific molecules responsible for storing energy within an organism. If such bio-molecules can be produced directly inside living cells, new perspectives in the treatment of disease would open up. Nanocapsules produce glucose-6-phosphate Researchers led by Prof. Cornelia Palivan from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Basel have designed bio-catalytic capsules that contain the active enzyme phosphoglucomutase and can produce and release glucose-6-phosphate. To start the reaction, the substrate required for the reaction has to be able to enter the capsule. The researchers thus inserted a pore protein synthesi...