At the lab, I’ve had the opportunity to work on an open source project called the Protein Geometry Database (PGD), and my coursework as a food science major with fermentation science option – specifically, that course in biochemistry – has proven unexpectedly helpful when working on the PGD. A peptide bond is formed between two amino acids when the amine group from one amino acid loses a hydrogen atom while the carboxylic group from another amino acid loses a hydroxide ion. The backbone of the polypeptide chain therefore consists of three atoms per residue: the nitrogen atom from the amine group, the central carbon atom, and the carbon atom from the carboxylic acid group.