National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center researchers yesterday announced the discovery of a detox mechanism of typhoid bacteria, which allows the bacteria to repel antibiotics and develop drug resistance, while the findings could help develop medicine to inhibit drug resistance.
Researchers Chen Chun-jung (陳俊榮) and Jean Yuch-cheng (簡玉成) analyzed the structure of Salmonella enterica and discovered a channel-like structure on the bacteria’s membrane protein, which could capture antibiotics and toxins inside the bacteria and remove them via the channel structure.
The channel structure is 300,000 times narrower than a human hair, Chen said, adding that the team discovered it by subjecting the protein crystals — assemblages of protein cultivated for study by X-ray or other light sources — of the bacteria to synchrotron radiation at both the Taiwan Light Source synchrotron in Hsinchu City and the SPring-8 synchrotron in Harima, Japan.
The synchrotron is a type of particle accelerator that allows for the observation of atomic structure through a sustained beam of electromagnetic waves on different wavelengths brighter than that from an X-ray tube.
Twenty-one million new cases of typhoid fever and more than 200,000 deaths occur annually worldwide and antibiotic therapy is the major treatment for typhoid fever, while it often has limited effect due to the bacteria’s ability to “pump out” antibiotics, Chen said.
The same channel structure has also been discovered on other bacteria, such as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, which could cause serious food poisoning and post-surgery infections respectively, Chen said, adding that the team’s work could enable pharmaceutical companies to design drugs that block the channel to reduce the bacteria’s drug tolerance.
Traditional medicine development selects about 250 types of compounds from 5,000 to 10,000 kinds of small molecules for animal testing before narrowing down to less than 10 compounds for human trials, which generally take 15 years, as traditional X-ray devices take a day to analyze the atomic structure of a molecule, while the Taiwan Photon Source synchrotron in Hsinchu could lower the analysis time to 30 seconds and the entire development process to three weeks, Jean said.
“Over the past 18 years, there have been six Nobel Prizes awarded to scientists who use synchrotron in combination with protein crystallography to understand the structure of proteins. The Taiwan Photon Source synchrotron is expected to boost Taiwan’s number of Nobel Prize winners,” Jean said.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong effective from 5:30pm, while local governments canceled school and work for tomorrow. A land warning is expected to be issued tomorrow morning before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the agency said. Taoyuan, and well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties canceled work and school for tomorrow, as well as mountainous district of Taipei and New Taipei City. For updated information on closures, please visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Web site. As of 5pm today, Fung-wong was about 490km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point.
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
Almost a quarter of volunteer soldiers who signed up from 2021 to last year have sought early discharge, the Legislative Yuan’s Budget Center said in a report. The report said that 12,884 of 52,674 people who volunteered in the period had sought an early exit from the military, returning NT$895.96 million (US$28.86 million) to the government. In 2021, there was a 105.34 percent rise in the volunteer recruitment rate, but the number has steadily declined since then, missing recruitment targets, the Chinese-language United Daily News said, citing the report. In 2021, only 521 volunteers dropped out of the military, the report said, citing
Nearly 5 million people have signed up to receive the government’s NT$10,000 (US$322) universal cash handout since registration opened on Wednesday last week, with deposits expected to begin tomorrow, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. After a staggered sign-up last week — based on the final digit of the applicant’s national ID or Alien Resident Certificate number — online registration is open to all eligible Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese nationals. Banks are expected to start issuing deposits from 6pm today, the ministry said. Those who completed registration by yesterday are expected to receive their NT$10,000 tomorrow, National Treasury
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