Context matters. It’s true for many facets of life, including the tiny molecular machines that perform vital functions inside our cells. Scientists often purify cellular components, such as proteins or organelles, in order to examine them individually. However, a new study published today in the journal Nature suggests that this practice can drastically alter the components in question. The researchers devised a method to study a large, donut-shaped structure called the nuclear pore complex (NPC) directly inside cells. Their results revealed that the pore had larger dimensions than previously thought,…
