Stanford researchers have developed a color-coded method for determining whether a protein has folded or unfolded by attaching it to gold nanoparticles.
The technique could become a fast and inexpensive diagnostic tool for detecting proteins related to diseases, said Richard Zare, director of the chemistry lab that developed the method. Researchers believe it could detect proteins associated with diseases such as AIDS or tuberculosis.
Scientists call proteins the workhorses of the human body, because they carry out instructions from genes. How they do so remains a mystery, but researchers know the key is their ability to fold and unfold themselves into unique, three-dimensional shapes.
Zare and his colleagues attached tiny bits of gold to a protein, placed it in a liquid solution, then watched the vials turn various shades of red and blue, indicating the proteins were folding and unfolding.
The technique is similar to, and as simple as, a pH test that measures acidity. Although the method requires gold, the amounts necessary are extremely small and inexpensive. Gold nanoparticles are also easy to prepare and control, the researchers said.
Source: Wired
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