The Hindu’s weekly Science for All e-newsletter explains all issues Science, with out the jargon.
The Hindu’s weekly Science for All e-newsletter explains all issues Science, with out the jargon.
(This article types part of the Science for All e-newsletter that takes the jargon out of science and places the enjoyable in! Subscribe now!)
Oct 8, 2022 marked the a hundredth beginning anniversary of an incredible Indian physicist G. N. Ramachandran, who is in the identical league as physicists C.V. Raman, M.N. Saha and S.N. Bose. What did he do to deserve this and what was the work’s affect on science?
One of the necessary discoveries made by GNR, as he was recognized, was to unravel the construction of collagen – a substance that’s present in bones, tendons and many others and is the most plentiful protein present in animals.
In 1953, James Watson and Francis Crick deciphered the construction of the DNA molecule which was a double helix. However, the construction of proteins eluded discovery. This was considered one of the main issues of the time.
Proteins are lengthy strings of amino acids and the method they fold, we all know immediately, is essential and an incorrect folding can result in many issues.
By isolating collagen from shark ray, rat tail tendon and kangaroo tail tendon, GNR’s group recognized for the first time that the massive biomolecule has what GNR referred to as a ‘coiled-coil’ construction and what was dubbed by different scientists a ‘triple helix’ construction. GNR and his collaborator Gopinath Kartha revealed this lead to two papers in Nature journal in 1954 and 1955.
Despite being the first to make this discovery the duo didn’t get due recognition. Ramachandran additionally moved on to make different, seminal contributions, specifically, the option to perceive protein folding, which fits by the title of Ramachandran Plot.
Every 12 months, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research awards the G. N. Ramachandran gold medal for excellence in organic sciences and expertise. Also, the Central Leather Research Institute homes the Triple Helix Auditorium, so named after GNR’s ingenious discovery of collagen construction.
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Triple helix: G.N. Ramachandran, a disadvantaged genius’ story
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