Students' seminar

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are an essential component for the formation of membraneless organelles (MLOs), which play key functional and regulatory roles in the human body. MLOs can form and dissolve spontaneously over time via liquid-liquid phase separation, but their phase behavior can alter due to mutations in the sequence of amino acids, causing severe diseases such as cancer and various neurodegenerative diseases. We use molecular dynamics simulations to study the chain conformations and phase behavior of chosen IDPs and their mutated variants. In this context I will introduce the coarse-grained implicit solvent hydrophobicity scale (HPS) model and talk about the role of aromatic residues in the formation of condensates. [more]

Supramolecular assemblies in nature are the embodiment of creating function through structure formation. In recent years, these complex natural architectures have inspired the development of materials for the in-situ formation of synthetic nanostructures inside living cells. Synthetic intracellular assemblies can be used to modulate cellular processes, however, their effects on metabolism and three-dimensional cell networks have not been widely explored. Herein, we present bioresponsive kinked peptides that can undergo a multistep transformation into self-assembling linear peptides in living cells. The intracellular peptide assembly causes metabolic disruption and rapid cell death. This work showcases the potential use of bioresponsive nanomaterials as supramolecular anticancer drugs via the construction of synthetic architectures inside living cells. [more]