Interaction between intrinsically disordered proteins and structured partners

24. November 2014

On the line of maturing new understanding of the factors regulating the correct dynamics of intrinsically disordered proteins in solution, one of the group’s interest is studying the mechanisms at the base of IDP’s recognition by structured partners. The function of IDPs is mostly, if not exclusively, developed around their ability to bind other molecular components inside the cell. Nevertheless, their lack of structure poses an additional challenge to successful binding. By employing molecular dynamics and brownian dynamics simulations interfaced to experimental validations, we aim to identify the mechanisms of recognition and binding between IDPs and structured partners crucial to cell surviving. The ultimate goal of the project is to bridge the knowledge that we acquire at a single-molecule level to the function of interacting partners inside the cell.

About HITS

HITS, the Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, was established in 2010 by physicist and SAP co-founder Klaus Tschira (1940-2015) and the Klaus Tschira Foundation as a private, non-profit research institute. HITS conducts basic research in the natural, mathematical, and computer sciences. Major research directions include complex simulations across scales, making sense of data, and enabling science via computational research. Application areas range from molecular biology to astrophysics. An essential characteristic of the Institute is interdisciplinarity, implemented in numerous cross-group and cross-disciplinary projects. The base funding of HITS is provided by the Klaus Tschira Foundation.

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