Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)

Relying on bacterial enzymes, scientists have developed a way of converting blood from groups A, B and AB into group O, which can be safely transfused into any patient. The blood cells from groups A and B have one of two different sugar molecules -- known as antigens -- on their surface, which can trigger a powerful, and potentially deadly, immune response. AB blood has both types of antigens, while group O blood has neither.

Groups A, B and AB can only be transfused into patients with compatible blood types, while type O, rhesus negative, can be given to anyone.

After a search of 2,500 fungi and bacteria the researchers discovered two bacteria -- Elizabethkingia meningosepticum and Bacterioides fragilis -- contained potentially useful enzymes. The team found that enzymes from both bacteria were able to remove both A and B antigens from red blood cells, effectively converting them to type O blood.

Writing in the same journal, blood experts Geoff Daniels, of the Bristol Institute for Transfusion Sciences, and Stephen Withers, of the University of British Columbia, Canada, welcome the research.

They said the use of enzymes to convert blood group has long been proposed, but has proved to be impractical due to the inefficiency and incompatibility of available enzymes.

They said the use of enzymes to convert blood group has long been proposed, but has proved to be impractical due to the inefficiency and incompatibility of available enzymes.

Unfortunately, these enzymes are ineffective against another antigen that is found on the surface of red blood cells. This antigen is known as the rhesus type. The presence of the rhesus antigen on human blood cells is referred to rhesus positive, or "rh positive", while its absence is denoted as "rh negative".

This research, spearheaded by the University of Copenhagen, is reported in the journal Nature Biotechnology.

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