New way to look at cell membranes could change the way we study disease

A new technique to study intact parts of cell membranes could revolutionize studies of cancer, metabolic and heart diseases. Membranes protect all of our cells and the organelles inside them, including the mitochondria – the powerhouse of the cell. These membranes are studded with biological machinery made of proteins that enable molecular cargo to pass in and out. Studying these membrane-embedded machines in their native state is, therefore, crucial to understand the mechanisms of disease and provide new targets for treatments. However, current methods for studying them involve removing them from the membrane, which can alter their structure and functional properties. Now a research team, led by the University of Oxford and including Imperial College London researchers, has demonstrated a technique that can analyze the structure of intact protein machines within membranes as a whole. The study is published today in the journal Science.