Molecular biophysics of protein structure and function

Protein crystallography gives unparalleled insights into how proteins work, and is especially powerful when combined with other biochemical and biophysical techniques such as Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy.  In this talk we shall look at some protein structures and complexes determined at Queen Mary and discuss how they illuminate the underlying biological processes.  Examples will include: the remarkable enzymes of the vitamin B12 biosynthetic pathway and proteins of the bacterial type II secretion system.  These studies underpin synthetic biology and drug design for improving the quality of human life as well as satisfying our curiosity about how these complex molecules work.

Venue: Laws 2.09