"Understanding the structural makeup and functions of
microscopic proteins is one focus of research currently underway at
the National Center for Macromolecular Imaging (NCMI) at Baylor
College of Medicine in Houston, Texas."
"The research involves creating 3-D images of microscopic
proteins, which scientists then observe from all directions to
determine how an individual protein functions. Reconstructing these
3-D models is accomplished through a process called single particle
reconstruction, an extremely compute intensive operation."
"Protein molecules are responsible for performing most of the
active functions within cells," said Steven Ludtke, computational
biologist for NCMI. "For example, proteins called ion-channels
serve as switches, which control chemical flow into and out of a
cell. These switches are 10 to 1,000 times smaller than a single
transistor in an integrated circuit."
