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

0087974Saven该奖项支持宾夕法尼亚大学Jeffrey Saven教授和日本神户大学Shoji Takada教授为期三年的合作研究项目。研究人员将通过理论设计的能量景观进行与探测蛋白质折叠动力学和稳定性相关的研究。蛋白质折叠是当代分子科学研究的一个基础领域。本项目将综合蛋白质折叠理论、蛋白质模拟和蛋白质折叠实验探针的最新进展。该项目的目标是设计和研究折叠成预定结构的蛋白质。蛋白质将根据不同的折叠标准进行设计，以便折叠动力学可以作为设计过程的一个元素。该项目汇集了两个具有互补专业知识和研究能力的实验室的努力。这位美国研究人员的专长是开发计算方法来解决蛋白质序列的特性。他们的日本合作者在模拟各种现实蛋白质模型的动力学和稳定性，蛋白质结构和稳定性的实验研究，使用分子生物学方法合成蛋白质以及使用核磁共振（NMR）表征蛋白质结构和动力学方面具有专业知识。这项研究的结果将提高我们对基因表达方式、生物技术蛋白质工程以及涉及蛋白质折叠和错误折叠的遗传疾病的理解。本研究通过研究生的参与促进了国际人力资源的发展。通过思想和技术的交流，该项目将扩大我们的基础知识基础，促进国际了解与合作。研究人员计划在科学期刊上发表他们的研究结果，并在科学会议上报告他们的发现。

0087974SavenThis 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.