Inside Story of a Protein Molecule as Reported by Fracture Mechanics

Abstract

Our body at the molecular level is primarily made of protein molecules and our biological activity largely depends on their chemical functions. Shapes and functions are supported by the intrinsic mechanical properties of protein molecules and interactions between and among them. In this article, we explore the possibility of defining mechanical rigidity of proteins at the single molecular level. The force mode of atomic force microscopy is the most suitable method enabling us to push and pull a single protein molecule at our will. Such experiment on carbonic anhydrase is introduced in this article.