BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Talks.cam//talks.cam.ac.uk//
X-WR-CALNAME:Talks.cam
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:De Novo Design of Functional Proteins - William DeGrado\, Universi
 ty of California\, San Francisco
DTSTART:20260206T150000Z
DTEND:20260206T153000Z
UID:TALK244234@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Echo Wu Williamson
DESCRIPTION:De novo protein design involves the creation of proteins from 
 scratch\, rather than by modification of natural proteins. A variety of fu
 nctionally rich proteins have been achieved. Some functions\, such as bind
 ing to protein interfaces have been relatively easy\, because the interact
 ions that stabilize interfaces are also used to stabilize the folded struc
 tures of proteins\, and available computational methods have been well cal
 ibrated to this task. It has been more difficult to design functions that 
 involve molecular recognition of small\, polar molecules or dynamic proces
 ses. I will describe recent progress in the design of proteins that bind s
 mall molecules\, and the use of these proteins in potential biomedical app
 lications such as drug targeting\, delivery and as drug reversal agents. W
 e also have designed of proteins with highly efficient enzymatic activitie
 s\, including ones that catalyze reactions at rates that exceed most natur
 al enzymes. Moreover\, we have designed proteins that catalyze reactions f
 or which there were no known protein catalysts.\nA second challenging area
  of interest in de novo protein design has been the construction of useful
  membrane proteins. I will describe the design of semisynthetic membrane p
 roteins that function as ion channels\, and their application to DNA and R
 NA sequencing.
LOCATION:Department of Chemistry\, Cambridge\, Wolfson Lecture Theatre
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR