“Acetylcholinesterase: Nature’s Vacuum Cleaner” by Gillilan

This research focuses on the electrostatic forces generated by Acetylcholinesterase, an enzyme that plays a key role in the human nervous system. Neurotransmitter molecules (acetylcholine) are drawn down a long tunnel and into a “reactive-site” cavern deep within the enzyme where they are cleaved into component parts for reuse. By literally voyaging into the enzyme along a route similar to that taken by neurotransmitter molecules, researchers gain a unique vantage point from which to examine the electrostatic field and other computed probes of enzyme activity.