The Protein Structure Project

The Protein Structure Project is the topic of a fantastic, very readable article by Al Tulinsky published in Annual Reports in Medicinal Chemistry (1996) 31, 357-366. D. Harker, when I. Langmuir asked what he'd do with a million dollars, stated he'd solve the structure of a protein. In 1950, Langmuir finished raising the funds, and Harker organized a group to solve the structure of ribonuclease. It's interesting to have a first-hand account of how various technical problems were solved, things like crystal growth, making and using isomorphous derivatives, diffractometry and computing. Many of the techniques now in use in daily structure determinations, both macromolecular and small molecule, stem from the Protein Structure Project. Harker

and friends deserve great admiration and credit for their efforts and creativity. Tulinsky presents the issues and problems faced by the Project in ways that make them exciting 45 years later. Reprints of the article are available from A. Tulinsky, Dept. of Chem., Michigan State, East Lansing, MI 48824-1322.