Chemist solves riddle of killer anthrax, meningitis

London - Anthrax, septicemia and meningitis are some of the planet's most lethal infections. Now a chemist has uncovered the mechanism behind these deadly infections.

Christian Marcus Pedersen from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, created a synthetic version of the bug's endotoxin, virtually opening the way towards new and more effective antibiotics, reports the journal Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry.

Lipoteichoic acid is a substance present in the cell wall of Gram positive bacteria. It seems to stir up immune response which shows up as fever, inflammation and organ failure, according to a Copenhagen University statement.

But if the substance breaks down as soon as it comes under the microscope, the chances of studying it becomes virtually zero. Therefore, it was a major breakthrough when Pedersen was able to fabricate the molecule from scratch.

Lipoteichoic acid consists of 335 atoms combined in tangle, the complexity of which has made it difficult to collect. To create pure molecules, Pedersen needed to complete 88 so-called synthesis steps.

That is to say that 88 distinct "recipes", all of which needed to function, were required in order to reach the final result.

Ulrich Zähringer, a chemist from Zentrum fur Medizin und Biowissenschaften, Borstel, Germany, said: "No one knew what substance Gram-positive bacteria released to make us sick.

"But because Pedersen can supply us with substances that are entirely pure... we are able to get a more precise answer as to why we show symptoms when these bacteria enter our body," he added.