Structural biology is the study of biological structures at the atomic and molecular level. It covers a wide range of topics from proteins and nucleic acids to cell membranes and organelles. Structural biologists use a variety of techniques to determine the structure of biomolecules, including X-ray crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), and computational methods.
The field of structural biology has made great strides in recent years thanks to advances in technology. For example, cryo-EM is now capable of producing high-resolution structures of protein complexes and other large macromolecular assemblies. In addition, new computational methods are allowing researchers to model biomolecular structures with unprecedented accuracy. As a result, structural biology is providing insights into the workings of many important biological processes at a level of detail that was not possible before.
One current focus of structural biology is understanding how proteins interact with each other to carry out their functions. Proteins are the workhorses of cells, performing essential tasks such as catalyzing chemical reactions, transporting molecules across cell membranes, and organizing cellular structure. Most proteins function as part of complexes consisting of multiple proteins interacting with each other in specific ways. Determining the three-dimensional structures of these complexes can provide insight into how they function and how they might be targeted by drugs or other therapeutic agents.
Another important area for structural biologists is elucidating the mechanisms underlying disease states. Many diseases are caused by mutations in genes that encode proteins involved in key biochemical pathways. By determining the three-dimensional structures of these mutant proteins, scientists can often gain insight into why they malfunction and what might be done to correct their activity. In some cases, this knowledge has led directly to the development of new treatments for previously untreatable diseases