The Structures of Life is a science education booklet that reveals how structural biology provides insight into health and disease and is useful in developing new medications.
Please note the publication date of this resource. There may be more recent developments that are not captured here. We are working to update our science education content and encourage you to check our website for new resources in the future.
The Structures of Life in PDF [5.03MB] | E-PUB
Introduces the topic and the contents of each chapter.
Explains structure-function relationship, amino acids, protein folding, genetic code, sickle cell and CF, and computer modeling.
Explores advantages and challenges of X-ray crystallography, synchrotrons, and ribosome structure.
Covers advantages and challenges of NMR.
Covers HIV protease inhibitors, Celebrex, what makes a good medicine, and drug resistance.
Describes notable structures: actin and myosin, RNA polymerase, bacterial photosynthetic reaction center, and G proteins.
Defines scientific terms used in the booklet.
A crossword puzzle covering topics in the booklet.