Structural Biology and Interactions

This course builds on the Structural Biochemistry course taken in S5. Students will learn the basic concepts of the various approaches used for multiscale structural characterization, as well as the analysis of macromolecular interactions. The advantages and limitations of all these tools will be highlighted so that students can understand how they complement one another and learn to use them in an integrated manner to address a given biological question. 

The lab sessions will combine the application of structural analysis using visualization tools (such as PyMOL) with the analysis of research articles that employ a combination of the approaches covered in the lecture series. Students will then be required to design their own experimental project to address a specific research question.

Good to know:

- Review of structural protein levels, interactions, folding, and structural motifs.

- Determination of the primary structure of proteins by mass spectrometry: bottom-up and top-down proteomics.

- Biophysical techniques for analyzing molecular interactions: basic theoretical concepts and an introduction to the various approaches used (fluorescence, thermophoresis, fluorimetry, isothermal titration calorimetry, surface plasmon resonance).

- Low-resolution structural analysis: basic theoretical concepts and an introduction to the various approaches used (native mass spectrometry, hydrogen-deuterium exchange, ion mobility, SAXS).

- Determination of the high-resolution structure of macromolecules: basic theoretical concepts and an introduction to the various approaches used (crystallography, NMR, electron microscopy).  

Expertise:

- Select an analytical tool or set of tools to address a structural and/or interactional issue.

- Analyze and interpret data related to the biophysical approaches under study.

- To be able to select experiments to answer specific questions.

Interpersonal Skills:

- Have the ability to synthesize information.

- Be able to work in a group.

Structural Biochemistry S5, Enzymology S5, From Molecules to Cells S1, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of the Cell S2