Tag: proteins

Thermodynamics at the single molecule level governs the discrimination of correct nucleotide or amino acid during transcription or translation

April 10, 2023

Proof-reading is essential to maintaining the fidelity of our genome as well as safeguarding the biomolecules such as mRNA and proteins that underpins cellular processes. To afford proof-reading ability, RNA polymerases and ribosome uses thermodynamics at the molecular level to help ensure that the correct nucleotide or amino acid is added to the elongating biopolymer. … More Thermodynamics at the single molecule level governs the discrimination of correct nucleotide or amino acid during transcription or translation

Full quantum mechanical simulation of large proteins remains intractable

July 11, 2021

Sufficient progress has been made in computational chemistry to afford the simulation of simple reacting systems from first principles using the laws of physics. Known as ab initio calculations, these simulations have provided a glimpse of nature for systems that are otherwise not accessible to experimental interrogation. But, the effort has thus far been limited … More Full quantum mechanical simulation of large proteins remains intractable

Nanoparticle surface characteristics determine types of proteins bound

August 15, 2020

Nanoparticles of different size, shape, coating and composition have been developed for various biomedical applications such as nanoparticles that elute drugs upon binding to cancer cells. To fulfil its mission, nanoparticles would necessarily need to traverse the bloodstream. Hence, its surface characteristics would play a pivotal role in influencing the types of proteins bound, which … More Nanoparticle surface characteristics determine types of proteins bound

Difficulty in obtaining structures of macromolecules in complex with accessory proteins or target DNA

July 3, 2020

Biological structural information helps elucidates mechanistic details that enable function. Hence, structural insights are the go-to option for understanding protein function, whether it is an enzyme, transport protein or structural protein. Difficulty in obtaining large size crystals for X-ray crystallography has been the key barrier hampering the elucidation of structures of many proteins and macromolecules. … More Difficulty in obtaining structures of macromolecules in complex with accessory proteins or target DNA

Extension of nuclear magnetic resonance to the third and fourth dimensions provide higher resolution models of proteins

December 16, 2019

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a common tool for structural elucidation of organic molecules in chemistry. But the technique has increasingly found use in determining the structures of complex proteins. More recently, extension of the method to the third and fourth dimension has improved the resolution of protein structures to atomic level, and may provide … More Extension of nuclear magnetic resonance to the third and fourth dimensions provide higher resolution models of proteins

Eukaryotic proteome is larger than the genome

November 16, 2019

Proteome refers to the complement of all proteins present in a cell. On the other hand, genome refers to the entirety of genetic information within a cell. Generally, proteome is smaller than the genome as not all genes are expressed at the same time. However, the eukaryotic proteome is larger than the genome. Why? Because … More Eukaryotic proteome is larger than the genome

Bottleneck in genomics lies in characterizing the functions of each gene

November 7, 2019

Declining cost of sequencing as well as the advent of next-generation and third-generation sequencing technologies have provided a platform for the cheap and easy access to genomic information for a wide variety of species. Such genomic information is the foundation upon which functional analysis of genome could be conducted. In the contemporary era, large numbers … More Bottleneck in genomics lies in characterizing the functions of each gene

MALDI TOF/TOF enables protein and peptide identification from mass spectrometry

September 28, 2019

Revolutions in proteomics that we are witnessing today is mainly powered by advent of advanced instrumentation and omics tools for data analysis. One such enabling tool is mass spectrometry for profiling the proteins separated by gel electrophoresis. However, introduction of new mass spectrometry tools may negate the need for protein or peptide separation by gel … More MALDI TOF/TOF enables protein and peptide identification from mass spectrometry

Discovery science generates new hypothesis

May 31, 2019

Two main approaches are typically used in conducting scientific research: hypothesis driven research and discovery science methods. In hypothesis driven research, an idea is formulated into a testable hypothesis that forms the basis of a research project. Such research projects are typically more limited in scope and smaller in size, particularly with respect to the … More Discovery science generates new hypothesis

What does it mean when a pathway or protein is conserved?

April 7, 2019

Proteins or pathways important to cellular function are frequently shown to be conserved through structural or sequence analysis. But, what does it mean for a pathway or protein to be conserved and what is the biological mechanism that allow it to happen?   For a protein to be conserved across different species and domains of … More What does it mean when a pathway or protein is conserved?