Grabbing a Single Molecule (IMAGE)
Caption
Physicists at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen are investigating the dynamics of protein folding, as this illustration suggests, using tools that enable them to grasp the ends of a single molecule and manipulate it. They pull on the ends of a protein molecule until it unfolds and then reduce tension so it can fold again, continuously making precise, direct measurements. Understanding protein folding is vital because incorrectly folded proteins cause diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Credit
Image by Johannes Stigler, Copyright TU Muenchen
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This image may be freely used, with copyright noted, in news coverage of the Technische Universitaet Muenchen.
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