Scientists decode serotonin receptor at room temperature
Thursday, December 19, 2013 - 14:00
in Physics & Chemistry
An international research team has decoded the molecular structure of the medically important serotonin receptor at room temperature for the first time. This study reveals the dynamics of the receptor at close to its operating temperature and thus gives a more realistic picture of its physiological function than it was possible before with conventional deep freeze analyses in liquid nitrogen at minus 173 degrees Celsius. The team led by Prof. Vadim Cherezov of The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, reports its work in the scientific journal Science. The research could lead to better designed drugs. The study also opens up new ways for investigating large biomolecules.