SAVE MONEY ON TRAVEL DEALS

The study's lead author, Dr Peter Cherepanov of Imperial College London, said the precise structure of the enzyme called "integrase" was determined by growing a crystal using integrase from a retrovirus called the Prototype Foamy Virus that scientists believe is very similar to the human immunodeficiency virus.

Growing the crystal required 40,000 trials during four years of effort by researchers from Imperial College and Harvard University.

Cherepanov said: "It is a truly amazing story. When we started out, we knew that the project was very difficult, and that many tricks had already been tried and given up by others long ago. Despite initially painstakingly slow progress and very many failed attempts, we did not give up and our effort was finally rewarded."

Researchers determined the molecular structure of the crystal with X-ray diffraction data from a synchrotron at the Diamond Light Source in South Oxfordshire.

The investigators said their findings will help scientists better understand how existing drugs that inhibit integrase work, how to improve them and how to stop the human immunodeficiency virus from developing resistance to them

The study appeared in the Jan. 31 edition of the journal Nature.

 BREAKING STORIES

BP may need to be just right for diabetics

Heart abnormalities found in WTC workers

Grand Canyon mule rides to change

Red Sox player's brain surgery successful

Mississippi to stop separating HIV inmates

Regular mealtimes help kids with asthma

Robot helps stroke victims use their arms

Mich. woman gets personal note from Obama

Falls, accidents cause most brain injuries

St. Louis Zoo sued over elephant program

Stem-cell creation enhanced with geometry

Planck images the galaxy's cold dust

Spitzer views two unusual black holes

Scientists transform protein into glass

Florida gator plant processing pythons

Book may help women with low sexual desire

Study: Some pipefish dads can be deadbeats

Record number of flamingos in Cyprus

FDA OK's implanted hearing system

Loneliness linked to higher blood pressure