Your Passion

 

 

 

  

Those things you love and those things you can't stand both

Point to a powerful part of you. They point to your passion.

Passion gives real power to whatever you do. Passion pushes

You in a fulfilling direction that holds true meaning for

Your life.

With passion for the goal, you'll find a way to make it

There. When passion is driving your actions, you can

Successfully work through any obstacle.

Your authentic passion is nothing to be ashamed of. For it

Connects with the very core of the beautiful and unique

Person you are.

 Let your passion come to life. The more fully you express

It, the more quickly you will move toward the fulfillment of

Your deepest desires.

 In your passion is your very own special reason why. Hold it

Close and keep it burning brightly, for in your passion is

The drive to reach your dreams.

Gift Giver

“Defeating the Rakshasas, I will give the queen, the delight of the Ikshvaku family, to Rama, just as a perfection is bestowed upon an ascetic.” (Hanuman, Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 13.57) jitvā tu rākṣasān devīm ikṣvāku kula nandinīm || sampradāsyāmi rāmāyā yathā siddhim tapasvine | There are constant struggles for success, as nothing comes easily in life. If you want material prosperity, success in your ventures, peace of mind, or so many other rewards, you have to really work hard for it. As they say, “there’s no such thing as a free lunch”, so even those things handed to us don’t necessarily represent a successful completion. The spirit soul wandering the world in different forms has desires that burst forth, irrespective of whatever successes were encountered in the past. For the observing loved ones, seeing their beloved struggle is difficult. The desire is to be able to help the struggling person reach their end, to deliver them their goal. Shri Hanuman, in carrying out the mission assigned to him, had a similar desire. He had seen his beloved Rama suffer so much on account of separation from His wife, a separation which was by no means deserved. Therefore Hanuman not only worked hard to follow the orders given to him to find Rama’s wife, but he personally dreamt of being able to deliver Rama success, such is the kindness of Hanuman. The exact sentiment felt by Hanuman in this instance is a little difficult to explain, as the emotion is rooted in a very strong love. Try to imagine one of your loved ones studying very hard to pass a very difficult examination. If you could somehow be on the examination board and grant them a passing grade, how much joy would that bring you? To know that you could deliver the fruit of the results to the person working so hard, the person you care about so much, would bring you immense satisfaction. The person being helped doesn’t even have to know that you played a role in their triumph. Just knowing yourself that you did something to ease their troubles, to put a smile on their face, is enough to make the task worth it. When studying the lives of famous saints and personalities of the Vedic tradition, it is natural to wish that you could go back in time and have had played a role in helping them through personal struggles. For instance, some five thousand years ago, Lord Shri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, descended to earth and had intimate dealings with the gopis of Vrindavana, of whom Shrimati Radharani was the chief. Radha and Krishna represent the union of God’s energy and God. In one sense they are equal, as they both play their role in the relationship, but there is still a difference. They are distinct entities with different qualities; there is a uniqueness to their individualities. Studying Radha and Krishna in the proper mood is important because their dealings illustrate the ideal relationship one can have with God. In the constitutional position, the spirit souls, the living entities wandering through various life forms, are devotees of God. God is the energetic and His expansions represent His energy. Since they are both of the same spiritual qualities, they are inherently linked. The expansions can, however, forget about their constitutional position and their relationship with Krishna. Once forgetfulness is introduced, all sorts of other divergences take place. What does this mean exactly? To use a crude example, let’s say that we build a baseball field, perfectly suited for playing games on a regular basis. The field is populated with players who, not surprisingly, play baseball. Therefore the rules on this field all relate to America’s pastime, where the ideal objective is the competing in the game of baseball and winning. Now let’s say that one of the players deviates from their position as a baseball player. Not identifying with the game at all anymore, they decide to use their portion of the field to play lacrosse, which is another game. They then get others to follow suit. Now you have a baseball field used partially for lacrosse. Obviously, you can’t fit both games on the same field, as the lacrosse field is shaped differently and requires a lot of space, of which there is not much to go around. Now let’s say that some of the other players decide to use a portion of the field for farming, something not even related to sports. Another person erects a house on the land, while another sits in a corner and sings all day. Obviously none of these engagements follow the makeup of the field, the reason for its existence. Therefore there will be constant struggle, with each faction declaring that their system of regulation is the right one. They will write books on how to succeed in their specific ventures, and since none of the engagements are related to the field, nothing tangible can happen from following any of the recommended procedures properly. Take this same example and expand it to the largest scope possible and you get the situation in the material world. The soul is meant to be a lover of God, but as soon as that fact is forgotten, the individual pretends that life is meant to further personal sense gratification. In this area there are many different avenues of enjoyment, with the massive playing field that is the material creation divided up to accommodate the different desires. New law codes are written with respect to each venture; thus resulting in a plethora of religious systems which don’t tackle the issues of the soul, its position transcendental to matter, and its inherent link to the spiritual world, the place where God in His personal form resides. Radha and Krishna are the embodiment of religion, as their dealings illustrate how divine love operates.Devotional service, or bhakti-yoga, is the constitutional engagement resulting from the soul’s position as lover of God. The gopis of Vrindavana are the best practitioners of bhakti-yoga. To get evidence to this claim, we can go back and revisit Krishna’s time on this earth some five thousand years ago. The gopis also descended to earth to give the world a glimpse of what goes on in Goloka Vrindavana, which is considered the highest spiritual planet in the transcendental realm of Vaikuntha. What does personal and impersonal refer to? God is also present in the material world, but His presence is impersonal. This means that He is not directly involved in the day-to-day dealings of the living beings, and also His presence is difficult to realize. Brahman, the all-pervading spirit, is like the effusion of light coming off of God’s gigantic transcendental body. Just as we can tell the sun exists by the sunshine, we know that there is a God based on the presence of spirit, which is the essence of identity in every life form. The personal presence is more important because this is where transcendental mellows can be exchanged, a taste in interaction. The dealings between Krishna and the gopis show us these interactions in their purest form. During their time on earth, the gopis were cowherd women, many of whom were married and attentive to their duties in the home. Krishna chose to be raised in the farm community of Vrindavana because this is where His purest devotees resided. Since everyone in Vrindavana got Krishna’s direct association, one would think that all the inhabitants were yogis. If you’re with Krishna all the time, you must be practicing religion perfectly. This must mean that you renounced worldly life and sat in meditation all day. Just the opposite occurred actually. The residents of Vrindavana were dedicated to protecting their cows and raising them properly. Everyone was supremely God conscious, and they performed their daily work as a matter of obligation. They were more attached to dharma, or religious principles, than the results of their actions. Even the women worked. The gopis used to take care of the house and the children and still find time to churn milk products. Shrimati Radharani and her gopi friends would regularly travel to the neighboring town of Mathura to sell their yogurt and cream. Radha is the goddess of fortune, which means that she bestows benedictions upon Krishna’s devotees so that they can continue their service. The devotee doesn’t require much; just enough to remain alive and continually chant the glorious maha-mantra, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”. Despite the fact that Radha gives out benedictions, just hearing about how she used to sell milk products to others stirs some longings in the hearts of devotees. “If only I could have been there to buy some of the yogurt that she and the gopis were selling. I would have bought so much. In fact, I would have spent my life savings to buy as much of their yogurt and cream as possible. In this way she would be pleased, which would in turn make me happy.” These thoughts are a little irrational, as no one can go back in time. Moreover, Radha and the gopis have Krishna’s association, so they don’t require any help in selling their products. Nevertheless, the sentiments are rooted in a good place. If we love someone and we see them struggling, we wish that we could find some way to help them. This was the feeling of Shri Hanuman as well. The same Lord Krishna had descended to earth many thousands of years prior in the guise of a warrior prince named Rama. This time He abided more by the established law codes of religion, or dharma. He also had the specific task of ridding the world of the plague that was the Rakshasa king of Lanka, Ravana. To fight Ravana, Rama needed an excuse, something which would come when Ravana would take away Rama’s wife Sita Devi behind the Lord’s back. Before He could fight Ravana, Rama needed to find Sita. For this He enlisted the help of Vanaras living in the forest of Kishkindha. Hanuman was one of those Vanaras, and he had the distinction of being the most eager servant, even though he had not known Rama for very long. For the divine figures endowed with superexcellent qualities, it’s not difficult to spot God’s presence. Hanuman recognized Rama’s divine nature soon after meeting Him. Hanuman took the mission of finding Sita as his life and soul. In the above referenced verse from the Ramayana, we see Hanuman pumping himself up before the most difficult struggle in his search for Sita. Up until this point he had braved all obstacles thrown his way except one, the prospect of not succeeding. He made it into Lanka unnoticed, searched every inch of space, and still didn’t find Sita. The mental demons started to creep in, tempting Hanuman to give up. What would keep the Vanara warrior going? His love for Rama of course. In the above referenced verse we see Hanuman declaring that he will continue the search for Sita and battle any Rakshasas that try to stop him. He will find Sita and deliver her to Rama, just as an ascetic is rewarded with the fruit of his austerity. An ascetic is known by his austere lifestyle. He doesn’t do this just to punish himself. There is a siddhi, or perfection, that arrives at some point. Think of an investment bond that matures after a set amount of time. The ascetic dedicated to austerity and penance eventually reaches a point where they get their reward. Hanuman uses this analogy because Shri Rama was in the austere position of having to be separated from His wife. Imagine having the most wonderful wife in the world, someone who loved you more than any person could love anyone else. Then imagine them being taken away from you, not knowing if they are in a safe position or not. This is what Rama endured for the rest of humanity, to show that He was a human being just like everyone else, even though He wasn’t. It might have actually bothered Hanuman more to see Rama suffering in this way. Therefore he put his existence on the line to see to it that Sita and Rama were reunited. Lord Rama is God, so what can we ever give to Him? He owns everything, so nothing that we offer to Him can actually come from us. Nevertheless, the devotional attitude is one that constantly follows service to the Supreme Lord. Hanuman didn’t care whether or not Rama was God. He saw his master in pain, so he was willing to do anything to remove that suffering. Indeed, it was not his assigned mission to bring Sita home. He was told just to find her, for Rama had to rescue her to maintain the high standing of the Ikshvaku dynasty, the family of kings He was born into. Hanuman’s attitude is wonderful nonetheless, as his passion in life is to keep a smile on Rama’s face. This attitude is all he needs for success. Life in Lanka was no picnic. He had no friends to call, and no one to rely on for advice. He had his love for Rama and the details of his mission. That’s all he would need, as he would end up being a major contributor in Sita’s rescue and Ravana’s eventual demise. His eagerness to please Rama is so wonderful that Sita and her husband make sure that Hanuman always has what he needs to perform his service. Just as he is eager to deliver the fruits of success to Rama, Sita is always eager to bestow gifts upon Hanuman. Sita is the very same goddess of fortune, so no one can stop her from delivering rewards to her intended recipients. In Closing: For austerity ascetic goes to the forest, Eats very little and wears bark for dress. So that their time in difficulty not for waste, Wait for the perfection of sacrifice to taste. Shri Rama found Himself in similar position, Separated from wife, unpleasant was condition. Hanuman desired that displeasure to end, The Rakshasas of Lanka to Yamaraja to send. Wanted to deliver wife to Rama, but no need, With his sincerity, success for Hanuman guaranteed.

EIGHT POPULAR TRAITS EXCELLENT EMPLOYEES HAVE IN COMMON

8 Qualities of Remarkable Employees

Forget good to great. Here’s what makes a great employee remarkable.

Great employees are reliable, dependable, proactive, diligent, great leaders and great followers… they possess a wide range of easily-defined—but hard to find—qualities.

A few hit the next level. Some employees are remarkable, possessing qualities that may not appear on performance appraisals but nonetheless make a major impact on performance.

Here are eight qualities of remarkable employees:

1. They ignore job descriptions. The smaller the company, the more important it is that employees can think on their feet, adapt quickly to shifting priorities, and do whatever it takes, regardless of role or position, to get things done.

When a key customer’s project is in jeopardy, remarkable employees know without being told there’s a problem and jump in without being asked—even if it’s not their job.

2. They’re eccentric… The best employees are often a little different: quirky, sometimes irreverent, even delighted to be unusual. They seem slightly odd, but in a really good way. Unusual personalities shake things up, make work more fun, and transform a plain-vanilla group into a team with flair and flavor.

People who aren’t afraid to be different naturally stretch boundaries and challenge the status quo, and they often come up with the best ideas.

3. But they know when to dial it back. An unusual personality is a lot of fun… until it isn’t. When a major challenge pops up or a situation gets stressful, the best employees stop expressing their individuality and fit seamlessly into the team.

Remarkable employees know when to play and when to be serious; when to be irreverent and when to conform; and when to challenge and when to back off. It’s a tough balance to strike, but a rare few can walk that fine line with ease.

4. They publicly praise… Praise from a boss feels good. Praise from a peer feels awesome, especially when you look up to that person.

Remarkable employees recognize the contributions of others, especially in group settings where the impact of their words is even greater.

5. And they privately complain. We all want employees to bring issues forward, but some problems are better handled in private. Great employees often get more latitude to bring up controversial subjects in a group setting because their performance allows greater freedom.

Remarkable employees come to you before or after a meeting to discuss a sensitive issue, knowing that bringing it up in a group setting could set off a firestorm.

6. They speak when others won’t. Some employees are hesitant to speak up in meetings. Some are even hesitant to speak up privately.

An employee once asked me a question about potential layoffs. After the meeting I said to him, “Why did you ask about that? You already know what's going on.” He said, “I do, but a lot of other people don't, and they're afraid to ask. I thought it would help if they heard the answer from you.”

Remarkable employees have an innate feel for the issues and concerns of those around them, and step up to ask questions or raise important issues when others hesitate.

7. They like to prove others wrong. Self-motivation often springs from a desire to show that doubters are wrong. The kid without a college degree or the woman who was told she didn't have leadership potential often possess a burning desire to prove other people wrong.

Education, intelligence, talent, and skill are important, but drive is critical. Remarkable employees are driven by something deeper and more personal than just the desire to do a good job.

8. They’re always fiddling. Some people are rarely satisfied (I mean that in a good way) and are constantly tinkering with something: Reworking a timeline, adjusting a process, tweaking a workflow.

Great employees follow processes. Remarkable employees find ways to make those processes even better, not only because they are expected to… but because they just can't help it.

Jeff Haden learned much of what he knows about business and technology as he worked his way up in the manufacturing industry. Everything else he picks up fromghostwriting books for some of the smartest leaders he knows in business. @jeff_haden

Truth

All of us are taught this basic value very early in our lives. Our parents and teachers stressed on the need and importance of being truthful. Some of us were even punished for deviating from the path. And, although we know this value well and even preach it to and expect it from others, we sometimes indulge in falsehood. In today�s world, there are very rare people who show a strong commitment to truth. Most of us lie without batting an eyelid.

Why do we lie? If we think deeply the reasons for lying are not many. It is mostly prompted by a sense of selfishness and a desire for obtaining something that we would otherwise lose. Some of the major reasons for us to lie are given below:
a. We lie to cover up our mistakes / failures / dishonesty
b. We lie to mislead others whom we distrust
c. We lie to protect ourselves
d. We lie to realise our desires
e. We lie for fun

Every lie that we utter adds to the negative Karma that we accumulate. Not only will lies boomerang on us but we will need to use more lies to cover previous ones. When we do get caught, as we eventually will, we stand to lose a lot in terms of trust and credibility. On the other hand, we will derive a lot of spiritual strength by resorting to truthfulness. It will form a protective sheath around us. We can overcome fear with truth.

If there is a strong will to be truthful it can easily be achieved. It starts with a deep sense of commitment to living a life of truth. We can overcome the urge to utter falsehood if:
a. We lead an honest and upright life
b. We seek nothing and accept everything
c. We have absolute trust and faith in God

Resolve now to be truthful henceforth!!

Austerity of speech consists of speaking truthfully and beneficially and in avoiding speech that offends 
- Bhagavad Gita

Only sacred thoughts can lead to sacred speech. The tongue has been given to man to speak the truth, to be sweet to others, to praise the Divine and enjoy bliss from such sacred speech 
� Lord Buddha

Always tell the truth. Then you'll never have to remember what you said the last time. 
- Sam Rayburn

It does not require many words to speak the truth. 
- Chief Joseph 

courtesy:values for life.

Natural Concentration

“The mystic (yogi) tries to concentrate upon the Supersoul by controlling the senses from all other engagements, and thus he ultimately attains samadhi. A devotee more easily attains samadhi, or trance, by constantly remembering the Lord's personal feature along with His holy name, fame, pastimes, etc. Therefore, the concentration of the mystic yogi and that of the devotee are not on the same level. The concentration of the mystic is mechanical, whereas that of the pure devotee is natural in pure love and spontaneous affection.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.9.39 Purport) When learning a new skill, there is the mechanical approach, wherein one accepts certain tools and tricks and then tries to implement them through steady practice. This method is helpful considering the difficulty of the skill being learned, but for the person who is naturally prone to such behavior there is not a problem at all. In many instances the person providing the instruction developed the technique through their own ability and then only after the fact performed some review to decipher the specific mechanics that went into their technique. In a similar manner, there is a way to reach the highest end of divine trance, or samadhi, through a mechanical method, but the natural approach is always more effective and easier to implement. Those who practice the latter method are so immersed in blissful thoughts of the divine that they don’t even know they are trying for samadhi. Picture an expert ice hockey player, who can shoot the puck up to 100 miles per hour. Perhaps in their youth they were taught the proper skating technique and how to put weight into the shot, but nevertheless, not every professional hockey player has a hard shot. The bending of the stick and the right timing of skating and backswing all go into the perfect shot that is both fast and accurate. Those with a hard shot can try teaching their technique to others, but likely their own ability was developed naturally. It was already within them, so they figured out how to extract it on their own, without following a mechanical approach aimed at reaching the future end. For the spirit soul trapped in a cycle of birth and death, some instruction is required in order to find the highest end. This is because by default the animal instincts take over. Leave a child to play for the rest of their lives and they will never learn anything. That’s why during the critical early years, when the child is willing to listen to parents, education is imposed. Without some sort of discipline, the hyperactive senses of the child would run wild, causing them to be spoiled and grow up to have a difficult time coping with life. In the larger scheme, the living entity in general is prone towards eating, sleeping, mating and defending. Divine trance is on the opposite end of the spectrum. It occurs when the aforementioned activities take a back seat, when they are done as a matter of fact rather than a matter of pleasure. This shouldn’t be that difficult to understand, for if we have a higher engagement, we will only eat what is required to maintain the body. Sleep will be a necessary evil, not something we truly relish. Mating and defense also take on a minimal role, for the mind will be focused on something else. There are two pathways towards samadhi. One is mechanical. It involves some sort of austerity, with the senses controlled through niyama, or regulation. There are also breathing exercises, sitting postures, and specific meditation techniques that further purify consciousness and reduce the influence of the senses, which are likened to serpents with deadly fangs. The mechanical route essentially removes those fangs. The mechanical approach is appealing because there is no sectarian designation. No one is going to hell if they don’t practice yoga, and neither are they dedicating their worship to a distinct figure of a specific tradition. If they will recite any name at all for the divine, it will be the impersonal sound representation of the Absolute Truth, om. Find a peaceful spot, sit quietly, chant om for a while, and then go back to what you were doing. It is this last piece that causes the whole system to break down. Meditational yoga is introduced in the Vedas, which come from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The impersonal feature of the Supreme Lord is known as Brahman, and since it lacks opportunity for personal interaction, those who try to connect with it find the path very difficult. Meditation on Brahman is meant to be a full-time engagement, not something that you do for five minutes a day. Think of it in terms of exercise. If I spent one hour in the gym each day but then ate without control the rest of the time, what good will my exercise do? In the same manner, if the yogi follows the dictates of the senses for the majority of the day, their yoga practice will not do much for them. Therefore it is not surprising that the mechanical process aimed at finding samadhi has degraded to the point that just the extraneous health benefits are now sought. Forget the spiritual component, do yoga so that your body’s internals will be in balance, so that you can enjoy your life of sense gratification even more. The natural process is much more beneficial. It is known as bhakti-yoga because it involves love directed at the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There are mechanical components to it in the beginning, but in the stage of maturation there is no conscious thought given to practicing any type of discipline. Rather, the devotee connected to God almost spits at the thought of practicing yoga, for the term implies that there is some benefit the devotee is trying to acquire. It’s like a friend going up to you and complimenting you on your parenting abilities, how you are doing a good job raising your kids. For the good parent, there is no specific reward sought for dedicating your life to protecting your child. You’re not in it for the attention or the pat on the back; the dedication comes naturally. The path of devotion ideally leads to a point where the worship of God takes place spontaneously, throughout the day. One can be cooking, cleaning, watching television, or even driving and still be in samadhi by thinking of the forms, pastimes and names of the Supreme Lord, who is addressed as Krishna because of His all-attractiveness. Like an iron rod that eventually turns into fire upon steady contact with a scorching flame, the devotee eventually becomes completely spiritualized through enough contact with the personal aspect of the Lord. That same Krishna descended to earth some five thousand years ago and spent a significant amount of time engaged in delightful pastimes in the farm community of Vrindavana. As time passed, Krishna had to depart for the neighboring town of Mathura, leaving the cowherd women, the gopis, most affected by the separation. Shortly after He left, Krishna sent His cousin Uddhava to deliver them a message. Uddhava looked just like Krishna, so at first glance the gopis thought that maybe Krishna was returning to them. When it came time for Uddhava to speak, the gopis were more interested in Krishna’s welfare than the message He had given. Through Uddhava, Krishna told the gopis that they were the topmost yogis. They had abandoned attachment to their husbands, friends and family in favor of loving the Lord, and for this there was no way Krishna could repay them. He declared that they were exemplary devotees, and that they should be proud of their exalted position. This is some lofty praise. If your aim is to be a mystic that reaches the samadhi stage, this news confirms that your yoga practice is going very well. Ironically, the gopis did not like this message. Granted, they loved hearing Krishna’s words and the chance to think about Him, but they paid no attention to the descriptions of yoga. What did they care if they were practicing yoga? They just wanted to know if Krishna remembered them and those moonlit nights in the forest when they all danced together. Did He miss them? Was He happy as a king? Was He ever going to come back? Uddhava was overwhelmed with appreciation for the gopis and their behavior. Though the gopis didn’t know it, they were exhibiting all the signs of samadhi, the goal for the mystic yogi. Because they only wanted to think about Krishna and love Him, they had no need for the mechanical processes of yoga, nor hearing about how they were practicing mysticism so well by concentrating on Krishna. Through their reaction to Krishna’s message, the gopis showed that the Lord was indeed correct about their position as the greatest yogis. The simplest method of yoga and the most effective are one and the same. Regularly chanting, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, reignites the devotional flame that is inside all of us. This sacred mantra also addresses the pleasure potency of the Supreme Lord, whom the gopis represent as well. Therefore “Hare Krishna” calls both the author of the message delivered by Uddhava and the recipients. The underlying request with the perfect prayer that is the maha-mantra is to have the ability to practice devotion spontaneously, to be immersed in blissful thoughts of the delight of Vrindavana, the life and soul of the gopis, and the author of everything good that ever was, is, and will be in the future. With a humble request made at the feet of the object of yoga, the need for the mechanical path goes away, as it becomes unappealing at the same time. The devotional path is always superior because it directly leads to Krishna, whose association is most cherished. In Closing: By following yoga’s mechanical process, One can surely reach a point of success. The forced restraint and practice gives chance, To reach position of full divine trance. But in reaching pleasure no need for force, Divine love charters simpler and better course. Just think of Krishna always like gopis did, Shyamasundara from their minds couldn’t rid. Their supreme standing messenger Uddhava could tell, Their hearts and minds to Krishna the gopis did sell.

Cancer proteins' bond exposed

THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Share on print A fractal design that resembles the molecular structure of a protein. Using the Australian Synchrotron, the researchers worked out how two human proteins involved in cancer cells work together. Image: fabiofs/iStockphoto Researchers at The University of Western Australia and the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research (WAIMR) have revealed a ground-breaking new molecular structure formed by two human proteins involved in turning genes on and off in cancer. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, reveals a tight embrace between the proteins NONO and PSPC1 that explains for the first time how they work together inside cancer cells. The combination of structural biology studies carried out at the Australian Synchrotron (Clayton, VIC) and high-resolution microscopy studies carried out at WAIMR, explains not only how the proteins can act together but also where in the cell they act. Lead author Professor Charlie Bond, from UWA's School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said that while previous studies had shown the importance of these proteins to cells and cancers, this is the first time researchers had a picture of what they look like. "Proteins in our cells are like very tiny machines," Professor Bond said.  "In order to understand how they work and develop drugs against them, we have to magnify them.  By combining microscopy and a sophisticated technique called crystallography, we have been able to observe the detailed atomic structure of NONO and PSPC1, and their location in the cell." Co-author Dr Archa Fox, from WAIMR, added, "This is an important finding because it is the first step towards developing drugs that could change the way these proteins work. However, more work is required to show how they might be targeted by new cancer drugs." The proteins NONO and PSPC1 are found in a part of the human cell called a paraspeckle, discovered by Dr Fox in 2001.  The work relied heavily on contributions from UWA PhD student Daniel Passon and research fellow Mihwa Lee, who were able to access the Australian Synchrotron's world-class Macromolecular Crystallography and Small-angle X-ray Scattering facilities. Editor's Note: Original news release can be found here.