ABSTRACT
Life has been around for a considerable length of time. Most organisms are quite complicated. Life is often identified, quite legitimately, by the nonscientist because of its complexity. A minimal cell contains the biomolecules, reaction pathways, and compartments necessary and sufficient for cell replication from small nutrient molecules. Viruses attack not only plants and animals but also bacteria, in which they are believed to play a key role in the rapid adaptation of bacteria to antibiotics and other chemical agents, as well as to physical changes in the environment. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis in the mitochondrion is coupled to a transmembrane voltage by the enzyme, ATP-synthase. Ions and small molecules passively diffuse through the pores, but transport of larger molecules is controlled by other membrane proteins and requires energy input. Klaus Schulten’s research efforts over more than three decades have produced huge advances in many areas of large-scale biomolecular structure and function, using innovative imaging technology and large-scale computing.
