There it is, the long awaited structure of a TRAP transporter. Our cryo EM structure of the sialic acid transporter HiSiaPQM finally reveals the function of the enigmatic Q-domain and how the membrane domains of TRAPs are structurally and conformationally coupled to their soluble substrate binding protein. This is the result of an eight years journey and a fantastic collaboration with Gavin Thomas from the University of York. As a cherry on the cake, single molecule studies with the lab of Uli Kubitscheck in Bonn provide the first real-time glimps of the transporter in action. The study has just been published in Nature Communications.
