Understanding sub-cellular systems at the atomic level (2011-2013)
Abstract
Living cells are the ultimate example of a self-organised molecular system. Proteins fold spontaneously and further assemble into functional complexes; essentially biological machines. Understanding what gives rise to this emergent complexity is of fundamental theoretical importance with widespread practical implications. My aim is to develop the capacity to simulate processes such as the assembly of membrane-protein complexes in detail by integrating atomic level models and low-resolution structural data into a novel computational framework. Using these tools we will go beyond what can be observed experimentally to shed new light on processes such as hormone signal transduction, membrane trafficking and how viruses gain entry into cells.
