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Baylor College of Medicine scientists, led by Professor Theodore Wensel, used sophisticated equipment to generate the 3-D image.

"This protein, known as TRPV1, not only senses spicy foods but also makes it possible to feel real heat and the pain and inflammation related to other medical conditions", said Wensel. "This method of viewing the protein now gives us the chance to clearly see the functional relationship between outside stimuli and the nerve cell."

The protein had to be removed from cells, purified and reconstituted in a synthetic membrane so researchers could control channel activity.

"We are the first group to purify a TRPV1 channel and control what goes in and out when the channel opens", said Wensel.

The research that included Baylor College of Medicine Adjunct Professor Irina Serysheva, graduate student Ben Tobe and Lia Stanciu of Purdue University appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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