Manchester scientists have developed a tiny molecular machine that mirrors the function of the ribosome, which builds the proteins in our body's cells.

BBC: Tiny molecular machine apes cellular production line

In essence, the PacBio machine could become a powerful molecular microscope that allows researchers to, for instance, watch drugs block enzymes and use that information to build better ones.

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Now Vertex is aiming the machine gun at another class of proteins--caspases, which act as molecular executioners to kill damaged cells.

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