Research Topics

One ultimate goal in biophysics is to understand the functions of proteins and macromolecular complexes as well as whole cellular processes like signal transduction pathways in their cellular environment. Most biophysical techniques are difficult or in many cases impossible to apply to living cells. ISB-2 follows several aproaches to achieve this goal:



 sr-htr

 sh3dom

High-resolution X-ray structures of proteins or protein complexes in ground and intermediate states establish a nearly complete time-resolved view of their mechanisms.


X-ray structures of adaptor proteins with model ligands demonstrate the fundamental determinants of affinity and specificity for their targets.



 arrestin

 ribosome

Experimenal data from X-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy can be combined with biochemical evidence to generate three-dimensional models of complex assemblies.


Cell-free transcription and translation systems in combination with fluorescence single molecule spectroscopy allow us to accompany protein synthesis and folding at the ribosomal machinery.


 fkbp42

 folding

Crystallographic investigation of multi-domain signalling proteins helps to understand the structural basis of their functions.


Protein unfolding and refolding as well as the interactions between proteins are studied in aqueous solution and in membranes.


last changed 08.09.2009 | | Print