Protein Nanomachines (IMAGE)

Rutgers University

Protein Nanomachines

Caption

Iron- and sulfur-containing minerals found on the early Earth (greigite, left, is one example) share a remarkably similar molecular structure with metals found in modern proteins (ferredoxin, right, is one example). Did the first proteins at the dawn of life on Earth interact directly with rocks to promote catalysis of life?

Credit

Professor Vikas Nanda/Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine at Rutgers

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