The workings of a tiny molecular machine crucial to all forms of life are emerging from highly detailed new images obtained by researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz. In a paper published by the journal Science on March 30, the researchers describe the structure of the ribosome, a complex particle just one millionth of an inch in diameter, in sufficient detail to begin to understand how it works.
Ribosomes are the protein factories of all living cells.
They hold the equipment necessary to read the genetic code and translate it into specific protein structures. Inside every cell, tens of thousands of ribosomes churn out proteins with mind-boggling speed and precision. They are ancient structures that show little variation among different forms of life. Most research has focused on bacterial ribosomes, which are composed of three different RNA molecules and more than 50 different proteins arranged in two major subunits. In contrast, the enzymes that catalyze most of the chemical reactions necessary for life are proteins.