Alanine Scanning

Alanine scanning is a scientific technique used to identify which parts of a protein are important for its function. Scientists systematically replace specific amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) with alanine, a simple and stable amino acid. By observing how these changes affect the protein's activity or interactions, researchers can determine which residues are critical for its role. This method helps in understanding protein structure-function relationships and can assist in drug development or designing better therapeutics.