Profile
Bio-spectroscopic measurement Smart lab
Professor NANGO Eriko
Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials
- Themes
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- Development of protein dynamic structural analysis tools
- Activation mechanism of G-protein coupled receptors
- Rational molecular design based on dynamic structural information
- Keywords
- X-ray crystallography, Protein dynamic structural analysis, X-ray free electron lasers
- Research Activities
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Visualization of reactions and structural changes in biomolecules
Proteins, which are important constituents of life, play various essential roles including cell signal transduction and in vivo catalytic reactions. The three-dimensional structure of a protein is deeply correlated with such functions, and it has been a great deal of interest in structural changes of a protein at work. New techniques are needed to capture the movement of nano-sized proteins on a fast time scale (femtoseconds to milliseconds) at the atomic level.
In our laboratory, we aim to visualize the chemical reactions and structural changes that actually occur in a protein with high temporal and spatial resolution using quantum beams such as X-ray free electron lasers and synchrotron radiation. Using the developed technology, we will reveal reaction mechanisms of various proteins including photoreceptor proteins and enzymes that catalyze unique reactions. In addition, we aim to design and create a new protein molecule based on the obtained dynamic structural information.
