Tying Different Knots from One Molecule
Copyright
© 2020 David Leigh
Description
A sculptural representation of a molecule being tied into two different knots, a trefoil knot on the left, and a five-crossing knot on the right. This process occurs by the molecular strand binding first to either a lutetium or copper ion, or both, at specific binding sites. The order of metal binding at these sites (represented with copper and silvery metal regions in the illustration) determines which knot conformation is formed.
Featured Research
Leigh, D.A., Schaufelberger, F., Pirvu, L. et al. Tying different knots in a molecular strand. Nature 584, 562–568 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2614-0
More information
Early concept of the proposed journal cover
Five-crossing knot tying
Trefoil knot tying