Chemical weapons like sarin can be devastating. They attack the nervous system by interfering with electric signals in the brain — a change that usually prevents a victim from breathing. To stop their effect, researchers have tried to make synthetic compounds that can break down nerve agents. Now, a lab-made compound appears to be able to do just that, in a matter of minutes.

The researchers tested their synthetic creation on a pesticide that’s chemically related to nerve agents. They found that NU-1000 was able to break down half of the pesticide in about 15 minutes — a timeframe that handily surpasses past results obtained from synthetic compounds. Then, they sent their compound to a US Army facility, so it could go up against the nerve agent GD — a chemical weapon that's actually more toxic than sarin. Scientists found that NU-1000 was able to get break down half of the nerve agent in about three minutes, or 80 times faster than similar synthetic compounds.

NU-1000 is "extraordinarily effective," the researchers write. But it isn’t really good enough. Right now, the compound is too slow to use during an attack, or in gas masks. Thankfully, the researchers already know that achieving a better result is possible. After all, the natural enzymes that they're trying to copy are up to 100,000 times faster.