By figuring out which proteins are most critical to the normal functioning of the body, pharmaceutical companies could target those key proteins to treat disease.

WSJ: Genes May Link Disparate Diseases

The two new antibodies target one of the proteins that form a spike used by HIV to infect cells.

BBC: Antibodies 'may aid HIV jab hunt'

When the antibodies on the surface of the nanotubes come in contact with a target protein, the proteins bind to the tubes and spread them apart a tiny bit.

FORBES: Wait, Did This 15-Year-Old From Maryland Just Change Cancer Treatment?

Pills from Pfizer and Bayer (nyse: BAY - news - people ) that hit not only VEGF, the Avastin target, but also other proteins in the cell, are showing incredible promise.

FORBES: Genentech's Triumph

The viruses used to deliver the light-sensitive proteins can be engineered to target very specific clusters of brain cells.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Vertex, instead, takes a machine-gun approach, designing thousands of compounds to test them against hundreds of potentially disease-causing proteins--all at once, and before scientists even know which protein might be a good target or which compound might actually work.

FORBES: Machine Gunner

The researchers in this study examined the geometric structure and behaviour of one of the rotavirus's surface proteins, called VP4, which plays a key role in binding on to the surface of a target cell, and breaking through its membrane.

BBC: NEWS | Health | Diarrhoea vaccine 'a step closer'