How do Bragg's ideas apply to modern drug discovery?
The principle that structure dictates function, which is so central to X-ray crystallography, remains paramount in fields like modern drug discovery. By employing refined versions of the techniques I helped develop, scientists can determine the precise three-dimensional structures of disease-related proteins and other biological molecules. With this detailed structural information, they can then design or identify molecules – potential drugs – that will fit perfectly into specific sites on these targets, thereby inhibiting their activity or modulating their function. The elegance lies in the simplicity of the underlying physical principle applied to complex biological challenges.
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