Spotlights on Recent JACS Publications

摘要

The outer wall of bacterial cells contains a medley of molecules that allow the microorganisms to recognize and stick to hosts, as well as regulate other important cellular functions. Understanding the structure of the bacterial cell wall may help scientists develop novel antibiotics. Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (SSNMR) offers a window into cell walls, but it is limited by inherently low sensitivity. Combining multidisciplinary research with the use of dynamic nuclear polarization, Sabine Hediger and colleagues have enhanced the sensitivity of the NMR signals from a bacterial cell wall 24-fold over conventional SSNMR, enough, they say, to contemplate the possibility of atomic-scale studies of cell wall interactions.