Labs / Biology
DNA to Protein
Press play and watch RNA polymerase copy the DNA coding strand into mRNA, then a ribosome read each three-letter codon while tRNA delivers the matching amino acid to grow a protein. Click any DNA base to mutate the gene — the effect on the finished protein appears instantly.
progress 0/15 ntcodon AUG → Metpeptide —
What to try
- Click the third base of a codon so the letter changes but the amino acid does not. Why can DNA change without changing the protein at all?
- Switch a single base to turn Gly into Ser. How much of the protein is affected by one wrong letter — and would that always matter?
- Try the Nonsense preset. Where does the peptide chain stop, and why does an early stop codon make such a drastic difference?
- Mutate the very first codon away from AUG. What happens to translation when the ribosome can't find where to start?
- Step through one codon at a time. Can you predict the next amino acid from the mRNA before the tRNA delivers it?