On Nov. 17, 2021, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) announced researchers had compiled the most comprehensive road map of the protein composition of human lungs, providing a clearer picture of the healthy development of this essential organ that made terrestrial life possible.

The study, led by scientists at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, describes how thousands of molecules are modulated in a coordinated fashion during the formation of pulmonary tissue.

The findings were expected to provide a gateway for further study of human lung formation and function. The study was published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.