Solving the phase problem in x-ray diffraction

(PhysOrg.com) -- Nearly 100 years ago, in 1912, a paper by Max von Laue made it possible to use x-rays to study the structure of different crystalline substances. He won a Nobel Prize in 1914 for his work, but, even so, the ...

Biochemist sheds light on structure of key cellular 'gatekeeper'

Facing a challenge akin to solving a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle while blindfolded—and without touching the pieces—many structural biochemists thought it would be impossible to determine the atomic structure of a massive ...

New analysis shows how proteins shift into working mode

In an advance that will help scientists design and engineer proteins, a team including researchers from SLAC and Stanford has found a way to identify how protein molecules flex into specific atomic arrangements required to ...

Twisted X-rays unravel the complexity of helical structures

Since the discovery of the diffraction of X-rays by crystals just over 100 years ago, X-ray diffraction as a method of structure determination has dominated structural research in materials science and biology. However, many ...

The blue blood of the emperor scorpion x-rayed

Biologists from Mainz University are the first to successfully crystallize the hemocyanin of the emperor scorpion to shed new light on the structure and active site of the giant oxygen transport protein.