{
  "id": 6656693,
  "title": "Under pressure: How a deep-sea protein adapts to an extreme environment",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/under-pressure-how-a-deep-sea-protein-adapts-to-an-extreme-environment",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-10T22:40:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-09-pressure-deep-sea-protein-extreme.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Scientists have discovered how a deep-sea protein adapts to extreme pressure, allowing it to remain functional in harsh conditions. Deep-sea environments exert immense pressure that can disrupt the structures of proteins essential for life. Professor Gaku Fukuhara of Kyushu University's Institute for Materials Chemistry and Engineering led a research team that investigated how a deep-sea protein remains stable under these extreme conditions. They found that as pressure increases, the protein forms trimeric structures, which stabilize itself through a process called oligomerization-mediated structural stabilization. The study, published in Scientific Reports, compared microbial rhodopsins from deep-sea and terrestrial bacteria. While terrestrial rhodopsins denatured under pressure, deep-sea rhodopsins maintained their structure and normal light-absorption properties. The deep-sea protein's resilience was attributed to its ability to form trimeric structures under high pressure. This discovery could lead to the development of light-responsive protein materials for use in harsh conditions and provide insights into how organisms adapt to extreme environments, potentially impacting medical research in areas like cancer treatment.",
  "summary": "Life in the deep sea is under immense pressure—literally. Such extreme conditions can disrupt the delicate structures of proteins essential to life. Yet somehow, the proteins in deep-sea creatures remain functional. This raises an intriguing question: how?",
  "key_points": [
    "Deep-sea protein adapts to extreme pressure for functional stability",
    "Trimeric structures stabilize protein under high pressure conditions",
    "Study compares deep-sea and terrestrial microbial rhodopsins"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}