Public effort in structural analysis of proteins.
>>A new protein crystallography experimental area at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center will use neutrons to probe biological samples, producing "pictures" of proteins with the highest resolution currently possible when it becomes operational in 2000. Advances in neutron solution scattering techniques are helping Los Alamos researchers put single proteins together in larger groups, up to the level of complexity of viruses and ribosomes, to study how they assemble, interact and reassemble.
Los Alamos also is investigating structural genomics, a rapidly developing field whose goal is to identify and analyze the structures of all proteins in nature, including the approximately 60,000 in the human genome. In another area of research called kinetic crystallography, researchers trigger a protein reaction with light or radiation, then observe the resulting structural changes in close detail to obtain clues how it functions.
Future research in structural biology will proceed in two primary directions: developing a broader understanding of the nature and function of proteins and other macromolecules, and analyzing their specific activities in greater depth and detail. Greater knowledge of biological structure, combined with the results of research in related fields, will add to our basic understanding of biochemical processes. It also has practical benefits, most obviously in diagnosing and treating diseases. Other areas in which structural biology will play a major role include biotechnology, industrial processes, agriculture and environmental cleanup.
CONTACT: John Webster at webster@lanl.gov or (505) 667-5543. For more "Science for the 21st Century," go to lanl.gov on the World Wide Web.<< |
