A sophisticated atomic-level computer simulation has allowed researchers of SISSA and the National Research centre (CNR-IOM—Institute for Materials Manufacturing) to shed light on the function of the spliceosome, a molecular machine within the splicing speckles of the cell nucleus. The spliceosome is composed of five filaments of RNA and hundreds of proteins. The researchers have discovered that in yeast, the Spp42 protein (corresponding to the human Prp8) coordinates the motion of components that handle a minute cutting and sewing process. Thanks to this activity, genetic information can be correctly transformed into products like proteins. Defects in this process are the underlying cause of more than 200 human diseases, including several types of cancer. Understanding the functioning of the spliceosome components may be of fundamental importance for the development of new drugs and therapies. The research has just been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).