What do we mean by "structure-function relationship"?

Here is an analogy. The function of a can opener is to open a can. But, if you have not seen it work before, you may have a hard time guessing what it does just by looking at its structure. The best way to learn its mechanism is to watch it in action. A can opener needs to change its shape repeatly to perform its function. Likewise, biomolecules need to change their shapes (conformational changes in fancier words) in order to function.

There are wonderful physical tools that can determine the structures of biomolecules with atomic resolution. However, these are static snapshots and it is often difficult to deduce the function from the structure only. There are elegant biochemical tools that can determine the functions but they do not tell much about the structures. Ideally, one would like to measure structurual changes of biomolecules during their function in real time and this is exactly what we are after.

How do we do this?

Click on the Techniques Link to find out.