Understanding the cell: Future views of structural biology.
Cell
; 187(3): 545-562, 2024 Feb 01.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38306981
ABSTRACT
Determining the structure and mechanisms of all individual functional modules of cells at high molecular detail has often been seen as equal to understanding how cells work. Recent technical advances have led to a flush of high-resolution structures of various macromolecular machines, but despite this wealth of detailed information, our understanding of cellular function remains incomplete. Here, we discuss present-day limitations of structural biology and highlight novel technologies that may enable us to analyze molecular functions directly inside cells. We predict that the progression toward structural cell biology will involve a shift toward conceptualizing a 4D virtual reality of cells using digital twins. These will capture cellular segments in a highly enriched molecular detail, include dynamic changes, and facilitate simulations of molecular processes, leading to novel and experimentally testable predictions. Transferring biological questions into algorithms that learn from the existing wealth of data and explore novel solutions may ultimately unveil how cells work.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Biologia
/
Biologia Computacional
Tipo de estudo:
Prognostic_studies
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Cell
Ano de publicação:
2024
Tipo de documento:
Article