What is in the structure? It is, of course, quality!

The determination of the three-dimensional (3-D) structure of DNA in 1953 heralded the beginning of molecular biology. At the same time, we saw one of the first examples of how the 3-D structure of a biomolecule reveals its function. The 3-D structure of DNA immediately suggested how the genetic information is passed to the progeny. Eventually, the discovery of DNA structure led to the understanding of how genetic information accounts for the final product, which is protein synthesis. For the past 40 years, research in molecular biology has led to the identification of a cascade in gene regulation from its packing into chromosomes to transcription, splicing, modifications, protein synthesis, and, finally, the death of proteins. Eventually, knowledge of the mechanisms involved in these events led to manipulation of genes, recombinant DNA, and cloning technology, all of which helped us grasp the function of genes and their role in the study of differentiation, development, and diseases.

As the major players at all the different levels of gene regulation were discovered, it became apparent that the final mechanisms will be best revealed when we can observe the action of enzymes and genes at the 3-D level. Information gathered by biochemical and molecular experiments could identify the function of an enzyme, say the role of DNA polymerase in replication or the role of helicase in unwinding DNA.