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Article: Minerals for growth: mineral surfaces turn out to be useful platforms for growing protein crystals.
- Article from:
- Science News
- Article date:
- March 5, 1988
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1988 Science Service, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Minerals for Growth
Proteins and biological processes are intimately intertwined. These enormous, complicated molecules form the basis for structures such as hair, muscle and skin. As enzymes, they regulate biochemical reactions. As hormones such as insulin, they act as chemical messengers in the body.
An understanding of how a particular protein functions requires a detailed knowledge of how it is put together. The best techniques for precisely locating the thousands of atoms that make up a typical protein involve X-ray or neutron diffraction. By observing the way in which a single protein crystal scatters radiation, researchers can work out its ...