A new way to boost blood supply

Using bacterial enzymes, an international team of researchers have developed a simple method to convert type A, B or AB to group O blood that can be used universally. According to the researchers, the enzymes could be used to serve as a kind of biological scissor that could cut away sugar molecules from the surface of red blood cells. People with group A or B blood have sugar molecules in their blood that triggers an immune reaction. Group O has one of the antigens and AB has both. Because group O can be used among all patients, its typically in short supply. Professor Henrik Clausen, from the University of Copenhagen, led the study.

- read the article on the research project