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Article

Macromolecular Structure from Anomalous Dispersion

JUN 01, 1989
A simple algebraic analysis of diffraction data from the unusual scattering near an absorption edge reveals the structures of substances that play a primary role in the processes of life.
Jerome Karle

Knowledge of the structures of macromolecules is of major importance both to basic science and to new, burgeoning industries. The determination of these structures is improving our understanding of fundamental biological processes, and so it sets the stage for the broad explanation of diseases on the molecular level and for the rational design of drugs. It promises to give insight into such topics as the mechanisms of enzyme action, the implications of protein structure for evolutionary development, the relation of amino acid sequences to three‐dimensional structure and the relation between structure and function in complicated systems such as viruses, muscle, ribosomes and chromatin.

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References

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More about the authors

Jerome Karle, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC.

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This Content Appeared In
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Volume 42, Number 6

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