Drug discovery bottleneck? Cell-free platform screens peptides faster, even in harsh conditions

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.