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SUMMARY:De Novo Design of Functional Proteins - William DeGrado\, Universi
 ty of California\, San Francisco Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department and C
 ardiovascular Research Institute.
DTSTART:20260206T150000Z
DTEND:20260206T153000Z
UID:TALK244240@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:135988
DESCRIPTION:De novo protein design involves the creation of proteins from 
 scratch\, rather than by modification of natural proteins.  A variety of f
 unctionally rich proteins have been achieved.  Some functions\, such as bi
 nding to protein interfaces have been relatively easy\, because the intera
 ctions that stabilize interfaces are also used to stabilize the folded str
 uctures of proteins\, and available computational methods have been well c
 alibrated to this task.  It has been more difficult to design functions th
 at involve molecular recognition of small\, polar molecules or dynamic pro
 cesses.  I will describe recent progress in the design of proteins that bi
 nd small molecules\, and the use of these proteins in potential biomedical
  applications such as drug targeting\, delivery and as drug reversal agent
 s.  We also have made progress in the area of the design of proteins with 
 highly efficient enzymatic activities\, including ones that catalyze react
 ions at rates that exceed most natural enzymes.  Moreover\, we have design
 ed proteins that catalyze reactions for which there were no known protein 
 catalysts.\nA second challenging area of interest in de novo protein desig
 n has been the construction of useful membrane proteins.  I will describe 
 the design of semisynthetic membrane proteins that function as ion channel
 s\, and their application to DNA and RNA sequencing.  
LOCATION:Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry\, The Wolfson Lecture Theatr
 e
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