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Article: Scientists unwrap the elements of life.
- Article from:
- Drug Week
- Article date:
- November 7, 2008
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Researchers at Newcastle University have taken a step forward in our understanding of how the fundamental building blocks of life are put together (see also Newcastle University).
In a paper published in Nature, the team led by Professor Nigel Robinson have revealed a mechanism that ensures the right metal goes to the right protein. Proteins are essential and involved in just about every process in living cells.
Life, microbe, plant or human, is a painstaking assembly of trillions of atoms. The atoms include metals such as copper and manganese which act as catalysts in proteins. The proteins wrap around the metal atoms.
The research team has ...