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Illinois IGB

Gallery

Art of Science Gallery 02

aos02_05
Spark of life
Chimera software

Image provided by B. McKay Wood, John Gerlt Lab

Research funded by the National Institutes of Health

The curling ribbon in this image is a representation of a protein’s crystal structure. The image was produced as part of an investigation into one of nature's most efficient catalysts, orotidine 5'-monophosphate decarboxylase (OMPDC). OMPDC helps produce one of the building blocks of RNA. Understanding how proteins like OMPDC function can extend our knowledge of what makes life possible.