This course is meant to introduce non-biology students to interesting problems in modern biology. The course will introduce the students to various research topics in protein science where biophysical principles and computational methodology could be applied. First, we will discuss function of various proteins in the cell. Then we will learn about protein primary, secondary and quaternary structure as well as about post-translational modifications. We will review various methods for protein structure determination and computational methods for structure prediction. We will talk about protein energetics and protein stability and forces involved in such processes. We will move to protein structural dynamics and discuss discuss the differences between globular, non-globular and membrane proteins. Finally, we will talk about protein-ligand interactions and strategies for drug design.
- Teacher: Julia Shifman