Amyloids are typically associated with devastating neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Despite their notorious reputation, these proteins clusters can, in fact, help our brains store long-term memories.

“You’ve probably heard that amyloid proteins are dangerous in the brain,” said Olivia Kim, a Stowers Graduate School student in the lab of Investigator and Scientific Director Kausik Si, Ph.D. “But what if I told you that amyloids could actually serve a positive purpose?"

Amyloids have several distinct features. They form when proteins adopt an unusual shape that then serves as a template, attracting additional proteins to shapeshift and stack together into highly stable structures. When viewed under a microscope, amyloids appear as tiny fibers with a characteristic molecular signature called a “cross-beta” formation.

"Think of amyloids as proteins with a very specific shape,” said Kim. “Once that shape forms, it encourages other proteins to copy it — so the amyloid sticks around much longer than most protein structures.”