Firefly Luciferase 3D Print Ready by justi086

Last crawled date: 3 years ago

This is the crystal protein structure of the Luciferase enzyme (PDB 2D1S) from the Japanese Firefly (Luciola cruciata). The protein structure is bound to the substrate, luciferin, which appears as CPK. When luciferase binds with luciferin along with Mg-ATP and oxygen it produces an excited oxyluciferin molecule plus visible light. In this model the amino acid Serine at residue 286 in the protein sequence is shown as CPK. I displayed this residue in detail because it is responsible for the color of the emitted light: A serine produces greenish-yellow light, but if it is changed to an asparagine is produces red visible light. In general the light emitting reaction in organisms is termed bioluminescence, and is highly researched for its' importance in medical applications.
Directions:
In Makerbot software scale the model 175% (or largest size possible).
Print with scaffolding/rafts.
After it is printed use needle-nosed pliers to remove scaffolding from the top and sides, working your way inwards. **Keep the large support beams and base as you remove the scaffolds as they provide much needed support.
This model is very fragile and takes several hours to clear away the scaffolding. **Consider maximizing the infill options to strengthen the print.