A team of scientists from the University of Bristol have designed a new protein structure.
The chemists and biochemists from the Bristol BioDesign Institute say the new research will help to design small proteins and small molecules that could be the basis for future biotechnologies and medicines.
They say that this much simpler than most naturally occurring proteins, which has allowed the scientists to unpick some of the molecular forces that assemble and stabilise protein structures.
Dr Emily Baker, who led the research, said: “Our work has implications not only for understanding the basic science of protein folding and stability, but also for guiding the design and engineering of new proteins and drug molecules.”