CAREER: Optical Single-Molecule Studies of Reaction Pathways of Biological Macromolecules

本项目由美国加州大学化学系实验物理化学项目和分子与细胞生物科学系生物分子系统组共同资助，伯克利将进行实验，以探测构象的灵活性，生物分子使用单分子光谱技术结合系统突变的一个无处不在的原型系统-腺苷酸激酶家族酶。 实验和理论方法将结合起来，以获得对以下内容的理解：导致催化事件的分子运动、酶反应的构象门控以及酶-底物系统的自由能景观。除了建立一个为理解生物分子运动提供见解的研究项目外，杨教授的研究还将为本科生、研究生和博士后研究人员。 此外，杨教授将致力于开发新的基于网络的材料，新的课程材料和研究专著，将他的单生物分子研究成果带给更多的观众。

In this project, co-funded by the Experimental Physical Chemistry Program of the Chemistry Division and the Biomolecular Systems Cluster of the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, Prof. Haw Yang of the University of California, Berkeley will conduct experiments to probe the conformational flexibility of biomolecules using single-molecule spectroscopic techniques combined with systematic mutation of a ubiquitous prototype system - - the adenylate kinase family of enzymes. Experimental and theoretical approaches will be combined to gain an understanding of: the molecular motions that lead to a catalytic event, the conformational gating of enzyme reactions, and the free-energy landscapes of enzyme-substrate systems.Besides building a research program that will provide insight to the understanding of the motions of biomolecules, Prof. Yang's research will provide research opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral researchers. Additionally, Prof. Yang will work on developing new web-based materials, new curricular materials, and a research monograph to bring the results of his single-biomolecule research to a larger audience.