On the structure-function uncertainties of proteins

Add to your list(s) Download to your calendar using vCal

• Prof. Monika Fuxreiter, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Debrecen, Hungary
• Thursday 18 October 2018, 11:00-12:00
• Department of Chemistry, Cambridge, Unilever lecture theatre.

If you have a question about this talk, please contact Gabriella Heller.

Advances in structural and cell biology – in parallel with laboratory evolution – indicate complex relationships between sequences, structures and functions of proteins, which may not be described by deterministic principles. Adaptive transitions in conformational landscapes simultaneously affect ambiguous as well as context-specific interactions, the functional outcomes of which are hard to predict. To describe dynamical behaviour of proteins under stochastic cellular conditions, I propose to include multiple functionally relevant states and their uncertainties in structure-function relationships. In analogy to artificially intelligent (AI) systems, the fuzzy set theory offers a mathematical framework to describe the appropriate sequence, structure and function sets and their uncertainties; whereas their connections could be treated by a fuzzy inference model. I discuss a series of results supporting the fuzzy model, from enzymatic catalysis to dynamic protein complexes and higher-order structures. I will also present various approaches/formalisms how uncertainty could be estimated from sequence and forecast cellular behaviours.

This talk is part of the Biophysical Seminars series.

This talk is included in these lists:

• All Talks (aka the CURE list)
• Biophysical Seminar Series 2016/17
• Biophysical Seminars
• Department of Chemistry
• Department of Chemistry, Cambridge, Unilever lecture theatre
• Featured lists
• School of Physical Sciences

Note that ex-directory lists are not shown.