Understanding transporter proteins at a single-molecule level
(PHYSorg.com Biology)

Like a boat helping passengers cross a river, transporters move substances across cell membranes. This process is fundamental to the healthy functioning of cells in life forms from bacteria to humans. The function of these transporters previously had to be inferred from the behavior of hundreds or thousands of them working together. Published today in Nature, new techniques enable the study of one transporter at a time.