This is the protein Lambda Repressor, a gene regulatory protein which is part of the "Molecular switch" of the bacteriophage lambda. The structure of this protein has been solved by X-ray crystallography by Mitchell Lewis and his colleagues. The red and blue colors indicate regions of positive and negative potential, calculated using macromolecular electrostatics modelling software developed by Kim Sharp and colleagues. The electrostatic potentials are important in determining how the protein recognizes DNA. Other theoretical techniques used include Molecular Dynamics, Brownian Dynamics, Monte Carlo methods, and Genetic algorithms.

 

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