2006 Public Lecture Series
April 19, 2006
THE RIBOSOME: A Molecular Machine in Motion
The ribosome is a complex molecular machine, consisting of RNA and proteins, that makes proteins in all cells according to the genetic instructions coded in DNA, and transcribed into messenger RNA. The moving parts of this machine are regions of the ribosome itself and other molecules (transfer RNA, elongation factors) that move in and out with intricate choreography. To explore the structure of the ribosome and the way it operates, two techniques are used: X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy. While x-ray crystallography shows the position of every atom in the ribosome structure, cryo-electron microscopy shows how the machine works.