Abide Therapeutics is mining one such enzyme superfamily, the serine hydrolases (SHs). Comprising over 200 members, the SH enzyme family has considerable untapped potential and has already yielded ...

"L-serine, this particular amino acid that we used, [...] we can build it in our bodies, ourselves," researcher Max Riekeles, who is helping to develop the alien-hunting device, told Mashable.

One of the chemicals the bacteria seemed particularly drawn to was serine, an amino acid found in human blood that is also a common ingredient in protein drinks. The research finding, published in ...