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A shapeshifting immune system protein called XCL1 evolved from a single-shape ancestor hundreds of millions of years ago. Now, researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) discovered the molecular basis for how this happened. In the process they uncovered principles that scientists can use to design purpose-built nanoscale transformers for use as biosensors, components of molecular machines, and even therapeutics. The findings were published today in
Science. The primary and senior authors of the manuscript, respectively, are MCW researchers Acacia Dishman, MD-PhD student, and Brian Volkman, PhD, professor of biochemistry.
Molecular switches can be used to detect cancer, construct nanoscale machines, and even build cellular computers. Many currently available molecular switches, however, rely on transcription and translation to switch on, and cellular degradation to turn off, meaning that they work slowly and sometimes irreversibly. Turning them on is like