Introduction to Protein Science: Architecture, Function, and Genomics

Proteins are essential to life, having a vital role in all living organisms. They are the ultimate micro machines: some are building blocks, joining with other substances to make the cells from which we are all formed. Some are catalysts, speeding up essential biochemical reactions to keep our cells alive. Yet others help cells to communicate, to move, and to build up the complex mix of tissues that make up our bodies. Introduction to Protein Science provides a broad ranging introduction to the contemporary study of proteins suitable for students on biosciences degrees internationally. Starting by describing the structure of proteins and how these structures can be studied, the book goes on to illustrate the wide range of functions that proteins have, showing how the shape of a protein is intimately linked to the function that it has. The book then describes how new experimental and computational techniques are helping us to predict a protein s structure and function, and how this is paving the way for us to design new proteins with specific characteristics, with exciting implications in areas such as drug design. Written by Arthur Lesk, the author of the highly successful Introduc