ACRO.IT Acronym Directory

To learn how various proteins function, scientists construct computer models that reveal the complex three-dimen- sional structures of these large biological molecules. To solve a protein's structure, scientists known as protein crystallographers must first crystallize the protein and analyze the resulting crystals by a process called X-ray diffraction. Precise measurements of thousands of diffracted intensities from each crystal help scientists map the probable positions of the atoms within each protein molecule.