Research sheds new light on protein behavior
Proteins play an essential role in virtually every cellular process. They provide actin and myosin for muscles, form the cytoskeleton that maintains a cell’s shape, and carry out innumerable duties critical for immune response, cell signaling and other central functions. A better understanding of protein complexity would be a significant advance in life sciences research, particularly for the study of the mechanisms underlying disease.
Now, Dr. Sidney Hecht and his colleagues are pioneering new techniques to peer into the inner workings of proteins, hoping to learn how they perform their impressive feats. Hecht is a professor of chemistry and director of the Center for BioEnergetics at the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University. The group’s efforts may pave the way for more effective therapeutics for a host of major illnesses, among other advances.