Researchers discover proton diode: Water is an active element in proteins

Biophysicists in Germany have discovered a diode for protons: just like the electronic component determines the direction of flow of electric current, the “proton diode” ensures that protons can only pass through a cell membrane in one direction. Water molecules play an important role here as active components of the diode. The researchers were able to observe this through a combination of molecular biology, X-ray crystallography, time-resolved FTIR spectroscopy and biomolecular simulations.

Read the whole article on Science Daily

More from Science Daily