U.S.-Japan Cooperative Research: Probing the Folding Kinetics and Stability of Proteins with Theoretically Designed Energy Landscapes

University Of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA

Investigators

Abstract

0087974 Saven This award supports a three-year collaborative research project between Professor Jeffrey Saven of the University of Pennsylvania and Professor Shoji Takada of Kobe University in Japan. The researchers will undertake research connected with probing the folding kinetics and stability of proteins with theoretically designed energy landscapes. Protein folding is a fundamental area of research in contemporary molecular science. This project will synthesize recent advances in protein folding theory, protein simulation, and experimental probes of protein folding. The goal of the project is to design and study proteins that fold to a predetermined structure. The proteins will be designed according to different folding criteria so that folding kinetics may be included as an element of the design process. The project brings together the efforts of two laboratories that have complementary expertise and research capabilities. The U.S. researcher's expertise is in developing computational methods to address the properties of protein sequences. Their Japanese collaborators have expertise in simulating the kinetics and stability of various realistic models of proteins, in the experimental study of protein structure and stability, in the synthesis of proteins using molecular biology methods, and in the characterization of protein structure and dynamics using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Results of this research should improve our understanding of the means of gene expression, the engineering of proteins for biotechnology, and those genetic diseases involving protein folding and misfolding. This research advances international human resources through the participation of graduate students. Through the exchange of ideas and technology, this project will broaden our base of basic knowledge and promote international understanding and cooperation. The researchers plan to publish results of their research in scientific journals and report on the findings at scientific meetings.