On the Homepage: An Atomic Model of Glucokinase

A model of glucokinase, a glucose-processing protein in the liver and pancreas. Image courtesy of Jason Rocks.

This image is a model of glucokinase, a glucose-processing protein in the liver and pancreas, produced by Jason Rocks, a collaborator with the Simons Collaboration on Cracking the Glass Problem and doctoral candidate at the University of Pennsylvania. Proteins undergo transitions akin to the changes in viscosity and other properties that occur in liquids when they form a glass. This protein’s atoms are colored according to a so-called persistent-homology-based analysis. This analysis identifies the two regions of the molecule (red and blue) that are most important to the protein’s function. This image first appeared in the 2018 Simons Foundation Annual Report.