"So far from contemplating the biological sciences in a bemused stupor of
incomprehension, chemists and physicists have entered the world of biology
and given us a new and deeper understanding of the structures of living
creatures."
–P. Medawar
Hello and welcome!
Overview
Protein folding, the self-assembly process according to which a linear chain of amino acids acquires its specific three-dimensional functional shape, is one of the greatest achievements of biology. As the function of each protein is determined by its native fold, and misfolded proteins are known to be involved in a variety of diseases (e.g. amyloidoses), revealing the physical laws that drive this remarkable phenomenon is a fascinating and tremendously challenging scientific task of paramount importance. Despite an intense research activity in the fields of biochemistry, biology and physics, the search for a complete understanding of the fundamental principles that govern protein folding is still going on.
Our research in protein folding is focused on the following topics:
- Kinetics & mechanisms of protein folding
- The role of intermediate states in folding & misfolding
- The physico-chemical triggers of amyloid formation
...and our approach is based on the use of computer simulations.