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Research which has identified a way of making a safer and cheaper polio vaccine is to be scaled-up – to see if it could be used in commercial vaccine production. The new approach, which has the potential to revolutionise vaccine development across the board, is the result of a scientific collaboration led by the University....

This discovery could lead to photosynthesis being ‘redesigned’ to achieve higher yields and meet urgent food security needs. The research, published in the journal Nature, reveals the structure of cytochrome b6f - the protein complex that significantly influences plant growth via photosynthesis. Using a high-resolution structural model, scientists found that the protein complex provides the electrical connection...

Hospital screening tests are failing to identify the true extent of microbial resistance, according to new research. Scientists have found that disease-causing bacteria carry antibiotic resistance genes that are dormant as a result of a genetic mutation. During screening, the bacteria appear susceptible to antibiotics. But such mutations easily become lost, rapidly transforming the bacteria...

Scientists have developed a new technique to trick bacteria into revealing hundreds of holes in their cell walls, opening the door for drugs that destroy bacteria’s cells. Targeting these pores could make current antibiotics more effective or allow for the development of antibiotic-free drugs that can use these openings. When subjected to certain stimuli, such...

The molecular machinery used by ‘superbugs’ to resist chemicals designed to kill them could also help produce precursors for a new generation of nylon and other polymers, according to new research. Scientists from the University of Leeds have collaborated with Australian researchers to identify ancient protein pumps that make infectious bacteria tough to treat, but...