Event Description
Learn about the exciting research being done by faculty in all departments of the College of Arts and Sciences!
Title: Physics of Protein Folding in Living Cells
Speaker: Dr. Hairong Ma, assistant professor of physics
Proteins participate in all aspects of cell function; they are the workhorses in a living cell. In order for them to function properly, proteins need to fold to their characteristic 3D structures from random coils. Inappropriately folded proteins either lose their functions or become toxic, promoting a spectrum of deleterious disorders known as “protein misfolding diseases.” The path taken by a protein molecule to pursue its native structure is guided by the physical laws of energy and motion, and defined by its amino acid sequence and cellular environment.
In this talk, Dr. Ma will discuss recent discoveries of how proteins fold inside a living cell. These discoveries shed light on the physical principles and biological implications of how proteins cope with the crowded and heterogeneous cellular environment and how cells help proteins to avoid misbehavior.
This event is free and open to the Drexel community. Light refreshments will be served. |