Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences - Department of Physics

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin | Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences | Department of Physics | Colloquium | Colloquia | Farewell Colloquium: Prof. Dr. Matthias Ballauff (Department of Physics of the HU Berlin and Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin)

Farewell Colloquium: Prof. Dr. Matthias Ballauff (Department of Physics of the HU Berlin and Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin)

Lecture on: "Interaction of Proteins and Polyelectrolytes as a Central Problem of Biophysics"
  • When Oct 29, 2019 from 03:15 to 05:00
  • Where Lise-Meitner-Haus, Christian-Gerthsen-Hörsaal, Newtonstraße 15, 12489 Berlin
  • iCal

Farewell Colloquium: Prof. Dr. Matthias Ballauff (Department of Physics, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie) will speak about "Interaction of Proteins and Polyelectrolytes as a Central Problem of Biophysics".

Abstract

A great number of natural macromolecules is highly charged and charge-charge interactions play a decisive role in their biological function. Examples comprise DNA, RNA, or various glycosaminoglycans. In particular, the interaction of these polyelectrolytes with proteins is governed by the release of counterions upon binding and is thus entropy-driven. In my lecture, I’ll give an overview over our recent work on this problem. We have studied in the interaction of well-defined polyelectrolytes with various proteins, both by calorimetry as well as by Molecular Dynamics simulations. Here we analyzed quantitatively the different contributions to the free energy of binding. Moreover, we could investigate the role of water in the process of binding. We give a clear proof that the strong enthalpy-entropy-cancellation is solely due to the release or uptake of water molecules. Directions for further research will be discussed as well.