Team:Exeter/Applications
From 2012.igem.org
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<p>Blood types are distinguished by the presence of their surface polysaccharides. Depending on which antigens are present some blood groups can only receive donations from their own group or other specific blood types according to their rarity. This drastically reduces the list of potential options. </p> | <p>Blood types are distinguished by the presence of their surface polysaccharides. Depending on which antigens are present some blood groups can only receive donations from their own group or other specific blood types according to their rarity. This drastically reduces the list of potential options. </p> | ||
- | <p>In the future we envisage a system where donor blood could be “masked” to display the properties of its intended acceptors blood. This would be achieved by creating a polysaccharide that could bind to the surface of donor blood with one end and via the other display the same properties required for the recipient, thus passing as the host blood type. We believe this would lead to a new <b>Universal Blood Donor Group</b> with the potential of replacing conventional methods. | + | <p>In the future we envisage a system where donor blood could be “masked” to display the properties of its intended acceptors blood. This would be achieved by creating a polysaccharide that could bind to the surface of donor blood with one end and via the other display the same properties required for the recipient, thus passing as the host blood type. We believe this would lead to a new <b>Universal Blood Donor Group</b> with the potential of replacing conventional methods.</p> <br> |
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Revision as of 11:06, 24 September 2012
Polysaccharides have a spectacular range of properties. These properties stem from the relationships between the chemical nature of the sugars within the polysaccharide, their arrangement within the polymer and the arrangement of the polymer itself. Polysaccharides appear in every corner of the natural world and have multiple applications ranging from protection to energy storage. Not surprisingly humanity has taken advantage of their diversity and by doing so created a huge variety of uses within the medicinal, material and consumable sectors. In this section we invite you to take a brief look at what could one day be possible if a system to design and build bespoke polysaccharides existed. Alex Clowsley, 2012. |