Protein Collagen Structure Examined in Fossilized Bones
IIT Assistant Professor of Biology Joseph Orgel studied the structure of fragments of the protein collagen recovered from the fossilized bones of a 68-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex and an 80-million-year-old Brachylophosaurus canadensis. The research, for which Orgel is the senior author, was published in PLoS ONE last week and covered by Nature on June 14, and could lead to practical applications in the design of prostheses or medical implants.
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