Skip to main content
Bacteria: hunting microscopic giants
Reports of gigantic proteins in extremely tiny bacteria raise exciting questions, write ROX MIDDLETON, LIAM SHAW and MIRIAM GAUNTLETT
A woman looking at matter under a microscope, as irregular sleep patterns may be linked to harmful bacteria in your gut, new research suggests

MOST people will primarily associate protein with its role as a major food group. But at a cellular level, there are millions of possible proteins: they are large, complex molecules that play crucial roles in biochemical processes.

A single protein molecule is made up of amino acids linked together in a long chain. The precise order of these amino acids is specified by the exact sequence of DNA in its corresponding gene.

Although the double helix structure of DNA was known in 1953, it remained a mystery for the rest of the decade how the sequence of a gene contains the “information” needed to transform the four chemicals given the shorthand A, T, C, and G into a protein.

The 95th Anniversary Appeal
Support the Morning Star
You have reached the free limit.
Subscribe to continue reading.
More from this author
POISON: Centivax workers study antivenom to counteract the bites of various snakes at the company lab in San Francisco
Science and Society / 7 May 2025
7 May 2025

A maverick’s self-inflicted snake bites could unlock breakthrough treatments – but they also reveal deeper tensions between noble scientific curiosity and cold corporate callousness, write ROX MIDDLETON, LIAM SHAW and MIRIAM GAUNTLETT

SCIENCE AND SOCIETY / 22 April 2025
22 April 2025

Science has always been mixed up with money and power, but as a decorative facade for megayachts, it risks leaving reality behind altogether, write ROX MIDDLETON, LIAM SHAW and MIRIAM GAUNTLETT

(Left) Human embryonic stem cells; (right) A patient after i
Features / 26 March 2025
26 March 2025
A small Japanese trial has reported some positive results for stem cell therapy to treat spinal-cord injuries
MORE THAN A WATERWAY: The Agua Clara (Clear Water) locks on
Science and Society / 12 March 2025
12 March 2025
Man-made canals like Panama and Suez face unprecedented challenges from extreme weather patterns and geopolitical tensions that reveal the fragility of our global trade networks, write ROX MIDDLETON, LIAM SHAW and MIRIAM GAUNTLETT
Similar stories
(Left) Human embryonic stem cells; (right) A patient after i
Features / 26 March 2025
26 March 2025
A small Japanese trial has reported some positive results for stem cell therapy to treat spinal-cord injuries
A 2600BC depiction of a king in Sumer, an early human civili
Science and Society / 22 October 2024
22 October 2024
ROX MIDDLETON, LIAM SHAW and MIRIAM GAUNTLETT examine how new genetic research reveals the rapid pace of human evolution in response to agricultural development, offering insights Marx would have found fascinating
Science and Society / 17 July 2024
17 July 2024
New research reveals how a billion-year-old antiviral defence links humans to deep-sea microbes, showcasing the remarkable conservation of life’s core machinery, explain ROX MIDDLETON, LIAM SHAW and MIRIAM GAUNTLETT
A woman looking at matter under a microscope
Science and Society / 5 June 2024
5 June 2024
The news that a tiny fern on a Pacific island has the largest genome ever recorded demonstrates that bigger isn’t always better, write ROX MIDDLETON, LIAM SHAW and MIRIAM GAUNTLETT