Medical

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Biomolecular Footprinting Technique Uses Laser to Better Understand Alzheimer's

Currently, studying the 3D structure of proteins is done by shining powerful X-radiation on them at a synchrotron facility. These facilities cost over a billion dollars, and there are only a few in the world. At the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, researchers have developed a new method that produces the same labeling results at a fraction of the cost, using an ultrashort pulse laser typically found in any research university. With this new biomolecular footprinting technique, more biologists and biochemists can conduct important research to better understand how misfolded proteins in the brain cause neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.