Multi-institutional collaboration uncovers how molecular machines assemble

Ribosomes — macromolecular machines consisting of RNA and proteins that twist, fold and turn — are responsible for making all of the protein within a cell and could hold the key to deciphering a range of diseases. Despite the intricacies of ribosomes, cells are able to churn out 100,000 of them every hour. But because they assemble so speedily, researchers haven’t been able to figure out how they come together.