Quantum biology

Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute describe a mechanism to explain how an intein — a type of protein found in single-celled organisms and bacteria — cuts itself out of the host protein and reconnects the two remaining strands. The intein breaks a protein sequence at two points: first the N-terminal, and then the C-terminal. This aspect of the project, which is led by Saroj Nayak, associate professor of physics, applied physics, and astronomy at Rensselaer, focuses on the C-terminal reaction.

Another Rensselaer team previously found that the reaction at the C-terminal speeds up in acidic environments.

“You can use this protein that cuts itself and joins the pieces together in a predictable way,” he said. “It already has a function that would be nice to harness for nanotechnology purposes.” And because the reaction may be sensitive to light and other environmental stimuli, the process could become more than just a two-way switch between “on” and “off.”