The Role of D-Amino Acids in Humans
Thought LeadersDaniel W. ArmstrongWelch Distinguished Professor, Dept. Chemistry
In this interview, Dr. Daniel Armstrong from the University of Texas at Arlington talks to News-Medical Life Sciences about his upcoming Pittcon presentation.
Could you start by telling us what D-amino acids are and what role they have in a healthy human body?
All living systems are made up of L-amino acids – we will call them left-handed amino acids - and D-amino acids are a mirror image of these. We will call those the right-handed amino acids. As with your right and left hand, one is a non-superimposable mirror image to the other.