This deadly neurotoxin can give rise to a new generation of non-addictive painkillers.
Tetrodotoxin is the most poisonous natural neurotoxin known to humanity. It is produced in the body of marine animals like pufferfish, snails, octopuses, newts, frogs, and worms. To study and harness the power of this mysterious biochemical, scientists in different parts of the world have been trying to synthesize TTX in lab settings for over a hundred years. It looks like a New York University team has figured it out.
In a recently published study, the researchers have revealed a 22-step process using which biologically active, tetrodotoxin can be created from commercially available materials. They claim to have discovered the most “concise” TTX synthesis method. One of the study's authors and Janice Cutler Professor of Chemistry at NYU, Dirk Trauner told, “Our synthesis is not the first synthesis of tetrodotoxin; however, it is the most efficient to date, improving on state of the art by 30 fold.
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