Advanced Concepts in Protein Science

Course description

This course for PhD students and Biochemistry majors provides a comprehensive overview of all aspects related to protein science. Topics covered will include how structural motifs form and how protein structures are stabilized. Common, experimental techniques will be discussed. Finally, more advanced concepts related to membrane protein biophysics will explain details of cellular signaling processes. Lectures will be supplemented with journal club style in-depth discussions of central topics. Students will gain profound and broad insights into all major areas of protein science.

Central dogma of biochemistry and the importance of proteins

molecular cloning and protein engineering
protein expression and purification

Protein structure and stability

from amino acids to higher levels of organization
protein denaturation
energetics of protein structure formation
double mutant cycles

Practical methods 1

optical spectroscopy
kinetics of protein-ligand interactions

Journal club

DNA replication
the ribosome and protein biosynthesis

Protein folding and energy landscapes

protein folding kinetics
microscopic and macroscopic constants
folding pathways
molecular chaperones

Journal club

molecular chaperones
- GroEL/ES
- Hsp90
posttranslational modification – Ubiquitinylation and SUMOylation
protein degradation – the proteasome

Membrane proteins

structure and function of biological membranes
working with membrane proteins
membrane mimetic systems

G-protein coupled receptors

architecture
conformational changes during signal transduction

Ion channels

taxonomy and evolution
basics of ion selectivity
the Hodgkin-Huxley model
ion channel gating

Journal club

protein structure prediction

Practical methods 2

single channel electrophysiology
cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM)

Journal club

voltage sensing domains
TRPV1 – the capsaicin receptor

Ion channel physiology

regulation by cellular components
channelopathies

Journal club

olfactory receptors
proteins as tools - targeted drug delivery