Linda Columbus, Professor of Chemistry and Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics at the University of Virginia, will deliver a seminar entitled, "From Lipid/Detergent – Protein Interactions to Host – Pathogen Interactions: How Do Membrane Proteins Work?" Hosted by Nate Traaseth.
For more information about Linda Columbus, click here.
Abstract: Despite significant progress in the area of membrane protein structure and stability, many questions still remain. One fundamental question is what is the role of the lipid environment in stabilizing membrane protein structure, function, and dynamics. To begin to understand the interactions between proteins and the solvent environment, the physical properties of the environments used to stabilize membrane protein folds need to be understood. The structure, shape, and dynamics of micelles, bicelles, and membranes will be presented and compared. The impact the differences and similarities of these three environments have on membrane protein structure will be explored.