Protein
design is a young and rapidly growing field. It brings together the
expertise of chemists, physicists, mathematicians, and biologists to
create the final product: a newly designed protein. Scientists in
the field are faced with a fascinating challenge: to outdo Nature in
designing proteins. The task is complicated by the fact that natural
proteins have undergone millions of years of evolutionary
adaptation. Designing proteins from scratch is the ultimate test of
our understanding of protein folding, structure, and function. More
importantly, protein design has many potential applications in
nanotechnology, bioelectronics, industrial chemistry, and
medicine.
We use very fast computational algorithms to search through
an astronomical number of possible amino acid sequences and to
obtain the optimal sequence for a particular protein scaffold.
Computationally predicted sequences are constructed experimentally
and assayed for the desired properties. Experimental results are fed
back into the computational algorithm, completing the protein design
cycle. We are particularly interested in applying protein design to
studying protein-protein interactions and modifying protein binding
affinity and specificity. The nature of our research allows us to
work closely with hard-core theorists whose simple models of protein
folding and design offer clear insights into protein behavior. At
the same time, we collaborate with experimental biologists providing
them with computational means to study various biological
systems. |
