{"id":25864,"date":"2022-10-03T13:15:51","date_gmt":"2022-10-03T12:15:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/?p=25864"},"modified":"2022-10-03T13:15:51","modified_gmt":"2022-10-03T12:15:51","slug":"new-protein-crystallisation-method-is-major-advancement-in-structural-biology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/new-protein-crystallisation-method-is-major-advancement-in-structural-biology\/25864\/","title":{"rendered":"New protein crystallisation method is a major advancement in structural biology"},"content":{"rendered":"
A new cell-free protein crystallisation (CFPC) method, developed by the Tokyo Institute of Technology<\/a>, provides major developments in the field of structural biology.<\/p>\n Including direct protein crystallisation, the technique enables the analysis of unstable proteins that cannot be studied using other conventional methods.<\/p>\n This huge advancement means that scientists will be able to increase their knowledge of cellular processes and functions.<\/p>\n Discovering hidden crystals <\/strong><\/p>\n Some crystals, such as salt and sugar, are used in everyday life; however, another set of crystals hidden from the naked eye are crucial to our biology. Known as microscopic protein crystals, they are found in living cells and help sustain processes such as immune system activation, protein storage, and protection.<\/p>\n Previous researchers developed the in-cell protein crystallisation (ICPC) method, which enabled a better understanding of the relationship between protein crystals\u2019 structure and function. This method can directly observe protein crystals in living cells.<\/p>\n The process ensures high-quality crystals without the need for purification processes, or complex screening methods. However, despite having many advantages, the process reported very few structures. This is because the crystallisation process in living cells does not have the size and quality required for analysis.<\/p>\n