Drug discovery bottleneck? Cell-free platform screens peptides faster, even in harsh conditions
Phys.org
March 1, 2026
Many biological functions are regulated by the switching on and off of mechanisms triggered by the matching of a keyhole (receptor) formed by a protein's three-dimensional structure and a molecule (ligand) that fits perfectly into it. If this keyhole deforms (protein mutation) or if a false key is created, biological functions become disrupted, leading to disease. Drug discovery research involves a process called screening to find compounds that fit into these receptor lock-and-key sites.
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Originally published on Phys.org on 3/1/2026