Not all of a cell’s protein-making machines do the same job

Some ribosomes specialize and may even play a role in embryonic development, early work suggests

ribosome

STANDING OUT  Scientists used to think that ribosomes, molecular machines that build proteins, are identical and interchangeable. But the micromachines are more diverse than previously thought, new research suggests.

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PHILADELPHIA — Protein-manufacturing factories within cells are picky about which widgets they construct, new research suggests.