Solving molecular structures
Thursday, June 9, 2016 - 08:21
in Physics & Chemistry
Determining the chemical formula of a protein is fairly straightforward, because all proteins are essentially long chains of molecules called amino acids. Each chain, however, folds into a unique three-dimensional shape that helps produce the characteristic properties and function of the protein. These shapes are more difficult to determine (or "solve"); scientists traditionally do so using a technique called X-ray crystallography, in which X-rays are shot through a crystallized sample and scatter off the atoms in a distinctive pattern.