Chemical & Physical Biology

Chemical & Physical Biology

Structure and function of proteins and their complexes play crucial roles in virtually all NCMLS research projects. Understanding their role and interactions on a molecular level and in a cellular context is an ultimate goal of increasing importance.

1) At the molecular level this subtheme aims at optimally exploiting the potential of (bio)molecular chemistry to modify, design and mimic proteins and their building blocks with the purpose to modulate and analyse their activities and properties in the (sub)cellular environment. This is best illustrated by the following examples: (i) novel bio-orthogonal conjugation methods to study and interfere with biological processes; (ii) stimulus-responsive cell penetrating peptides; (iii) use of non-proteinogenic amino acids in diagnosis and treatment of disease; (iv) mimicking cellular synthetic processes in microenvironments; and (v) hybrid cell systems: incorporation of synthetic components into living cells.

2) At the cellular and multicellular level theme 7 deals with elucidation of protein structure and protein-protein interactions. Research topics are: (i) post-transcriptional events in gene expression; (ii) cellular signaling pathways; (iii) (de)activation mechanisms of tyrosine kinases and tyrosine phosphatases; (iv) external control of cellular proliferation and differentiation; and (v) molecular probing  of vascular pathology and angiogenesis.

Theme leader: Jan van Hest