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At HWI, the goal of our research is to develop an understanding, at the molecular level, of how the basic components of living cells function. Only with this knowledge can we begin to think about how diseases originate and what rational steps we might take to cure them or alleviate their symptoms. The large molecules known as proteins perform many functions in biological organisms, and defective proteins are at the root of many disease conditions. On the other hand, proteins also play a role in the prevention and treatment of disease. In either case, we need to know what the relevant protein molecules look like and see how they interact with each other and with potential drug molecules. Typically, compounds that act as drugs are small molecules that either enhance or inhibit the activities of a particular protein. |
No microscope has sufficient resolution to let us observe biological molecules and their interactions directly. Instead, structural biologists (such as the scientists at HWI) use tools provided by the science of crystallography. In a crystallographic experiment, a single crystal of a purified substance such as a protein is irradiated, typically with X-rays. The incident radiation is scattered in many directions to produce a so-called diffraction pattern, and a complex mathematical analysis of the diffraction data (a process known as "solving" the structure) will determine the shape and atomic arrangement of the molecules comprising the crystal. Once the structure has been solved, molecular models can be constructed and examined for insight into how the protein molecules function, what might be happening when disease occurs, and what compounds might be designed as drugs to modify activity. In addition to studying proteins and other molecules implicated in certain diseases, HWI scientists also are concerned with further developing the methods and techniques that allow crystallographic research to be carried out. The advancements made in our laboratories are used worldwide to grow the high-quality single crystals needed for diffraction experiments and to analyze the X-ray diffraction data once it has been measured. |
