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A hunt
for crystals
Scientists at the National Centre for
Structural Biology (NorStruct) in
Tromsø are working to produce crystals.
Not of precious stones, but of biological
substances.
They are doing this because the crystals
are an excellent means of achieving an
important goal: expanding our under-
standing of how the body's key proces-
ses work. The researchers are especially
eager to uncover the secrets that are
contained in proteins.
Life's Building Blocks
But what exactly is a protein? Many may
know the word "protein" best from the
list of ingredients that make up different
foods. Fish, meat, milk, cheese and eggs
contain a great deal of protein.
But protein is not just food, the word
is also a common term for thousands
of different molecules found in living
organisms. Proteins can be considered to
be the cell's construction workers. While
our genetic material (DNA) contains the
recipes that tell cells what to do, pro-
teins actually undertake the processes.
Many proteins are tailored to perform
vital functions. Haemoglobin, which
transports oxygen around the body, is an
example of such a protein.
They look like beautiful precious stones, and
researchers treat them as if they are priceless
treasures. In a crystallized form, proteins can
provide invaluable contributions to cancer
research and vaccine development.
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Labyrint E/11
– University of Tromsø
Who would have thought that these beautiful, valuable crystals originated from a protein found in a bacterium? The appearance of the crystals may help researchers to figure out how
dangerous cells can be turned off