Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's arise from the accumulation of proteins, known as protein aggregation. It is not yet clear how these clumped proteins are formed, and especially the path they take to eventually form plaques and long fibers. The very first steps of this protein aggregation process are particularly important because this phase has the most harmful neurotoxic effects.
According to Professor of Analytics of Biomolecular Interactions Anouk Rijs, advanced technology is needed to unravel this process, as only through it can we investigate the initial stages of protein accumulation. Along with fellow researchers, she is developing experimental methods that enable the step-by-step tracking of this phase. Rijs states, "This allows us to understand how proteins misfold and then adhere to each other. Ultimately, we hope to use this knowledge to control protein aggregation, possibly slowing it down or even stopping it."