Two Penn State researchers in the Department of Chemistry–Michael T. Green, an associate professor; and Jonathan Rittle, a former Penn State undergraduate student at the time of the research–have been  featured on the cover of the latest issue of Science Magazine for their work with Cytochrome P450.

Cytochrome P450 is an enzyme located within the liver and the kidneys. According to the research of Green and Rittle, the enzyme is pivotal in the break down of 75% of known drugs. Through their research, they were able to identify the enzyme’s form while it is working to break down drugs.

The findings will aid doctors and scientists in preventing caustic interactions between drugs that should not mix.

“The answer to why some people have bad interactions could be understood at the level of the P450 enzymes and their state changes,” said Green in an article on the website for the Eberly College of Science, “Now that we can see those state changes on a molecular level, a deeper investigation is finally possible.”

For access to the abstract and the full article, visit Science Magazine’s website.