Research presenting a new method for probing solution‐state interactions of arginine side‐chains in proteins by Prof Flemming Hansen and 3rd year Hansen group PhD student Harry MacKenzie was featured as the cover article for the February 2019 European Journal of Chemical Physics and Physical Chemistry.
A new giant virus that infects bacteria commonly found in the human gut has been discovered by an international team led by researchers from UCL including Professor Joanne Santini, and UC Berkeley.
The new ‘megaphage’ called ‘Lak’ is the same size as some bacteria and is the biggest ever reported phage found in the human gut.
A study published in Nature Microbiology describes the discovery of Lak phage and reports that they specifically infect bacteria called Prevotella, which live in all people but most notably those who have a diet high in fibre and low in fat.
Prevotella is also associated with upper respiratory tract infections and is prevalent in periodontal disease, which means the new megaphage may open up the development of new phage-based treatments for infections caused by Prevotella.
Research paper in Nature Microbiology