Kinesin - A Critical Transport Protein

Learn more about an important cellular protein called kinesin from this video by the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), and Ron Vale Ph.D., a UCSF researcher. Kinesin is a motor protein, which acts to transport cargo around the cell, a critical part of many biological functions. Without this protein, you could not survive.

Vale describes how kinesin fits into some of the most essential processes, starting at the very beginning of life. You can also get a look at a model of the molecular structure of the protein as it moves, and even video of it migrating inside of a living cell.

This research has come a long way since the discovery of kinesin in 1984. Vale also describes some of the remaining questions.