(Stanford University) Proteins, long and linear when first made, must fold into specific configurations before they can properly do their job in a cell.

How they are folded is a mystery, but Stanford researcher Judith Frydman has begun prying the lid off a type of molecule called a chaperonin, which folds some of the most essential proteins for life.

Her goal is to control protein folding, which has therapy implications for many diseases caused by misfolding.