Dr. Wallace is determining the structure of the gramicidin A transmembrane ion channel using X-ray crystallography and co- crystals of gramicidin and phospholipids. The crystals currently available for study diffract to better than 2.0 A resolution. Spectroscopic studies on these crystals have shown that the lipid molecules are highly ordered within the co-crystals. The plasma membrane is responsible for the interactions of a cell with its environment and neighboring cells. Membrane proteins play a major role in transport processes, cell-cell contact and signal reception. High resolution information concerning the structure of proteins which are embedded in lipid bilayers may elucidate their functional roles as channels and receptors and provide insight into the folding of proteins in the hydrophobic environment of a lipid bilayer.***//
