More people don't develop the stones because most persons flush out microscopic calcium oxalate crystals when they urinate, and because several proteins in the kidney aid in slowing or stopping crystal formation. After examining the few anti-crystal molecules already identified, lead author Sokalingum Pillay , a research associate and assistant professor of medicine at the University of Chicago, guessed that they might belong to a class of proteins known as S100. Much to his surprise, a screening for the S100 class in human urine turned up the sequence for calgranulin, a protein previously identified only in white blood cells. Coe and Pillay are currently organizing a three-year study that's slated to begin in six months. In other future studies they hope to use a calgranulin-based drug to treat kidney stones.
Most researchers take a piece of tissue, grind it up and perform tests.
Theteam is already taking 96-gene snapshots. Among numerous examples of such commercially viable research is that of University of Florida professor of chemistry Tomas Hudlicky . His laboratory uses a mutant form of the common bacteria, Pseudomonas putida, to biocatalytically degrade such toxic aromatic compounds as dicholorbenzenes, napthols, and biphenyls that arise from natural resource production and industrial outflow, among other sources. Through the lab's process of whole-cell fermentation, these toxic compounds yield synthons useful in manufacturing carbohydrates and medicinally important alkaloids. In late June, EPA announced this year's winners of the Green Chemistry Challenge Awards.