Protein: ATP Synthase
Artist: Valerie Mullen
Imagine those lazy summer days ahead of you – nothing to do in a day but sip lemonade and sit in the garden reading. It seems as if you are expending a minimum amount of energy, but in truth your body is still producing massive quantities of ATP. In fact, ATP is needed for so many cellular functions that poisons stopping its production, such as cyanide, can kill you within 30 seconds. The powerhouse protein that makes everything possible is ATP Synthase: one of the most highly conserved, ubiquitous proteins you’ll find in nature, yet somehow we still don’t know the exact workings. Interested yet? Come take a closer look…
