Scientists gain protein factory understanding

Theoretical biologists at Los Alamos National Laboratory have used a New Mexico supercomputer to aid an international research team in untangling another mystery related to ribosomes – those enigmatic jumbles of molecules that are the protein factories of living cells.
The research, published today in the journal Nature, could aid in development of new antibiotics used to fight multidrug resistant superbugs such as MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections) found in many U.S. hospitals. The work may also be important for combating engineered strains of anthrax and plague.
In the context of synthetic biology, understanding the ribosome could be key to developing nanofactories that produce designer biomolecules and polymers.
In the paper, “Head swivel on the ribosome facilitates translocation via intra-subunit tRNA hybrid sites,” Los Alamos National Laboratory researchers Karissa Sanbonmatsu and Paul Whitford and José N. Onuchic at the University of California-San Diego join Christian Spahn, Andreas Ratje, and others from the Institute for Medical Physics and Biophysics, Berlin, Germany, to describe for the first time how a complicated swivel movement within a bacterial ribosome accommodates synthesis of proteins.

If you subscribe to the newspaper, you receive FREE access to all the exclusive content of the web site! Simply register to receive uninterrupted access to our award-winning and in-depth local online content!

Renew Current or Past Subscription / Register for Online Subscription

If you currently subscribe or have subscribed in the past to the Los Alamos Monitor, then simply find your account number on your mailing label and enter it below.

Click the question mark below to see where your account ID appears on your mailing label.

Newspaper Acct. ID:
Street Address:	(exactly as it appears on the label)

If you are a subscriber and you do not know your account ID or don't have a copy of your newspaper available that shows the information on the address label you can click continue below to search for your account.

New Subscription/30 Day Free Trial Account

If you are new to the award winning Los Alamos Monitor and wish to get a subscription or simply gain access to our online content then please enter your ZIP code below and continue to setup your account.

ZIP Code:

Create a limited access account.
Register to participate in community forums, post on the community calendar, blog etc. This registration does not give you full access to read our award winning content, etc.

The Los Alamos Monitor | lacirculation@lamonitor.com | 505-662-4185
256 DP Road, Los Alamos, NM 87544
Office Hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday