In-situ measurement of 3-D protein structure inside living eukaryotic cells
(PHYSorg.com Chemistry)

Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have successfully determined the high-resolution, three-dimensional structure of proteins inside living eukaryotic cells. They combined `in-cell` nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, a bioreactor system and cutting-edge computational algorithms to determine protein structures in crowded intracellular environments for the first time. The technique promises insight into the intracellular behavior of disease-causing proteins and novel drug screening applications, allowing in-situ visualization of how proteins respond to biochemical stimuli.