Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 18, 2026

4D Imaging of Protein Aggregation in Live Cells
Published on: April 5, 2013
How does a protein's structure spell the difference between health and disease? Our journey to understand
1School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
Abstract:
Over 20 years ago, alterations to the protein myocilin were confirmed to be linked to a heritable form of the prevalent eye disease, glaucoma, and 10 years ago, my lab set out to develop a deeper understanding of myocilin in its normal and diseased state. We have made strides in understanding how genetic mutations in myocilin likely lead to disease, but unlocking myocilin's biological function is still an elusive goalpost. Is normal myocilin unimportant in the human body? Are scientists using the wrong methods to study myocilin biology? Here, I discuss my scientific journey into understanding one small part of the fascinating organ that is the eye.
Related Concept Videos
Protein Folding
Protein and Protein Structure
A protein's shape is critical to its function. For example, an enzyme can...
Protein Folding
Amyloid Fibrils
Amyloid deposits were observed as early as 1639 in the liver and the spleen. In 1854, Rudolph Virchow performed iodine staining, normally used to...
Protein Folding
Protein Structure Is Critical to Its Biological Function
Proteins perform a wide range of biological functions such as catalyzing chemical reactions, providing...
Glaucoma: Overview

