To fully appreciate how our bodies respond to a wide array of stimuli such as light and pain a team of scientists including Nobel Prize-winning scientists Robert Lefkowitz and Brian Kobilka has determined the underlying architecture of a cellular signalling complex. This complex consisting of a human cell surface receptor and its regulatory protein revealed a two-step mechanism. The findings provided structural images of a G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) in action. 'It is crucial to visualise how these receptors work to fully appreciate how our bodies respond to a wide array of stimuli including light hormones and various chemicals' said
