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Protein melts

A new phase for protein chemistry

Proteins are most at home in water, although it has been known for some time that they can remain functional in non-aqueous environments. Researchers have now shown that in solvent-free melts, the oxygen-binding protein myoglobin adopts a near-native structure and retains its biological activity.

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Figure 1: Chemical modification and polymer conjugation of myoglobin to produce a solvent-free protein–polymer melted phase.

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Clark, D. A new phase for protein chemistry. Nature Chem 2, 607–608 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/nchem.746

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