Mapping interactions between Phytoglycogen and bioactive compounds for biotechnological**applications

Mirexus BioTechnologies Inc.是一家新兴的加拿大公司，专门开发用于个人护理、营养和生物医学应用的新型**天然生物材料。该公司的专利**生物材料植物糖原是一种从甜玉米中提取的天然多糖，以单分散、**可生物降解和无毒的纳米颗粒形式生产，对人类使用是安全的。**由于其出色的生物兼容性和主要的包裹小分子的能力，**植物糖原被认为是开发**营养、美容和药理活性化合物的新型递送系统的有吸引力的平台，**这些化合物本身不易溶解或无法**横细胞膜。**了解使其能够结合和携带其他分子的植物糖原的特性对于开发高效的递送系统**至关重要。为了帮助Mirexus开发新一代产品，弗拉基米尔·拉迪赞斯基教授领导的一个研究小组建议使用**核磁共振方法并设计特殊的筛选测试，能够快速确定**目标分子与植物糖原相互作用的强度，并进一步确定促进与植物糖原相互作用的分子和结构基序**。**该项目中设计的知识和方法将是创造新**产品的关键一步。这将使该公司能够专注于开发更有可能与植物糖原相互作用的新的特定活性化合物，或者开发可以与**更广泛的生物活性化合物相互作用的植物糖原衍生物。Mirexus目前正在Guelph建设一家新的制造工厂；**除了对健康和福祉有明显的好处外，新产品的开发将有助于在研发和生产方面创造**新的就业机会。

Mirexus Biotechnologies Inc. is an emerging Canadian company specializing in the development of novel**natural biomaterials for applications in personal care, nutrition and biomedicine. The company's proprietary**biomaterial phytoglycogen, a natural polysaccharide extracted from sweet corn, is produced as monodisperse,**biodegradable and non-toxic nanoparticle, and is safe for human use.**Due to its excellent biocompatibility and the principal capability to encapsulate small molecules,**phytoglycogen is considered an attractive platform for the development of novel delivery systems for**nutraceutically, cosmetically and pharmacologically active compounds which are poorly soluble, or cannot**transverse cell membranes on their own.**Fundamental understanding of the features of phytoglycogen that allow it to bind and carry other molecules is**essential for the development of efficient delivery systems. To assist Mirexus with the development of new**generation of products, a research team led by Professor Vladimir Ladizhansky proposes to use a method of**Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and design special screening tests that would be able to quickly determine how**strongly the target molecules interact with phytoglycogen, and further identify molecular and structural motifs**that promote interactions with phytoglycogen.**The knowledge and methodologies designed in this project would be an essential step in creating new**products. It would allow the company to focus on the development of new specific active compounds that are**more likely to interact with phytoglycogen, or to develop phytoglycogen derivatives which can interact with a**wider spectrum of bioactive compounds. Mirexus is currently building a new manufacturing facility in Guelph;**in additional to obvious benefits to health and well-being, the development of new products would help create**new jobs in both R&D and production.