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Title: X-Ray Laser Gets First Real-Time Snapshots of a Chemical Flipping a Biological Switch

Abstract

Scientists have used the powerful X-ray laser at the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory to make the first snapshots of a chemical interaction between two biomolecules – one that flips an RNA “switch” that regulates production of proteins, the workhorse molecules of life. The results, published in Nature, show the game-changing potential of X-ray free-electron lasers, or XFELs, for studying RNA, which guides protein manufacturing in the cell, serves as the primary genetic material in retroviruses such as HIV and also plays a role in most forms of cancer.

Publication Date:
Research Org.:
SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
OSTI Identifier:
1333680
Resource Type:
Multimedia
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; RNA; RIBONUCLEIC ACID; X-RAY; BIOCHEMICAL INTERACTION; CHEMICAL INTERACTION

Citation Formats

. X-Ray Laser Gets First Real-Time Snapshots of a Chemical Flipping a Biological Switch. United States: N. p., 2016. Web.
. X-Ray Laser Gets First Real-Time Snapshots of a Chemical Flipping a Biological Switch. United States.
. Mon . "X-Ray Laser Gets First Real-Time Snapshots of a Chemical Flipping a Biological Switch". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1333680.
@article{osti_1333680,
title = {X-Ray Laser Gets First Real-Time Snapshots of a Chemical Flipping a Biological Switch},
author = {},
abstractNote = {Scientists have used the powerful X-ray laser at the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory to make the first snapshots of a chemical interaction between two biomolecules – one that flips an RNA “switch” that regulates production of proteins, the workhorse molecules of life. The results, published in Nature, show the game-changing potential of X-ray free-electron lasers, or XFELs, for studying RNA, which guides protein manufacturing in the cell, serves as the primary genetic material in retroviruses such as HIV and also plays a role in most forms of cancer.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {2016},
month = {11}
}

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