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.