Cellular Biology

In concert with the advances in structural biology there has been spectacular progress made in understanding the molecular basis of a number of processes in the fields of cellular and developmental biology.

The structure of the major histocapatibility anyigen (MHC) and its complexes with other immuno-modulating factors has revolutionized molecular immunology, and similar new insights are being made into other biological processes. The structures of the many hormone-receptor, protein-protein and protein-DNA complexes have now been determined, and these have laid down the foundations of the mechanisms of cellular processes.

An important new area, which until the advent of the synchrotron has been impossible to research, is the study of how biological signals are transmitted across cellular membranes. Areas of study include pore-forming toxins, receptors and channels.

One major project underway at St Vincent's Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne is a structural study of Amyloid Precursor Protein, a central player in Alzheimer's disease. It is increasingly clear that this disease is related to the conformational instability of proteins, and structural biology will be the main technology for addressing this problem.