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Protein Sequencing: Unlocking the Blueprint of Life
Protein sequencing is a fundamental technique in molecular biology that allows scientists to determine the exact order of amino acids in a protein. Proteins are essential molecules in all living organisms, responsible for catalyzing reactions, transmitting signals, and providing structural support. Understanding their sequence is critical for revealing how they function, how they interact with other molecules, and how alterations can lead to diseases.
The process of protein sequencing began decades ago with labor-intensive methods such as Edman degradation, where amino acids are sequentially cleaved from a protein’s N-terminal and identified. Though effective, this method was limited to relatively small proteins due to the time and effort required. With advances in technology, modern protein sequencing has become faster, more precise, and applicable to complex proteins.
One of the major breakthroughs in protein sequencing is mass spectrometry. This technique allows the analysis of large…