Figure 1.

Synergistic approaches in structural biology to enrich information on functional mechanisms

In integrative structural biology approach, data generated from multiple techniques are combined to gain insights into a biological process. Structural biology tools like cryo-EM, X-ray crystallography, NMR, etc. elucidate 3D architecture of a macromolecular assembly, whereas biophysical techniques, like different wings of mass spectrometry and proteomics, illustrate the composition of and association within it. Integration of these diverse approaches leads to out-and-out understanding of a crucial biological pathway. For example, structure and function of the molecular machine ribosome has been studied with various techniques, and when all the results from these techniques are put together, the overall mechanism of protein synthesis (translation, shown in the center) has come to light.