The cassette and tweezers were used by Brian Kobilka in his research on “beta-adrenergic receptors” on the surface of our cells. These receptors are sensitive to the hormone adrenaline and transmit signals into our cells via G proteins. To map the structure of the molecular complex that these receptors form with G proteins, Kobilka and his colleagues used electron microscopy. Samples of the molecular complex were placed inside this pill-like cassette, which was inserted into the electron microscope using tweezers.
Brian Kobilka donated the cassette and tweezers to the Nobel Prize Museum in 2012.
