Why do problems occur with a special variant of 'protein glues', the split inteins, that severely limit their use in producing proteins? A team has now answered this question. Proteins are the ...

Inteins are self-splicing elements that excise themselves from translated proteins to leave behind the extein, or mature protein. The majority of functionally relevant residues are thought to be ...

Proteins are the building blocks of life. They consist of folded peptide chains, which in turn are made up of a series of amino acids. From stabilising cell structure to catalysing chemical reactions, ...