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Deniz Lab Single Molecule Biophysics Welcome to the Deniz Lab

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Folding, Misfolding and Assembly at Single-Molecule Resolution

We address key scientific questions in biophysical and molecular and cell biology through the development and application of emerging single-molecule methods. These novel methods provide unprecedented abilities useful for investigating structural distributions and dynamics of complex biological systems (see review). Important aspects of this information can remain hidden in traditional ensemble experiments, which can limit our mechanistic understanding. We are exploring important areas of biophysics including intrinsically disordered (see paper) and amyloidogenic proteins (see paper), complexity in protein topology and landscapes (see paper), and the mechanisms of RNAi (see paper). Our multidisciplinary research utilizes a broad range of tools from physics, chemistry and biology to enhance our single-molecule and complementary ensemble studies.

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Recent News and Outreach

  • Our recent paper directly tests a hypothesis of counteraction between the effects of opposing chemical chaperones on the structural features of α-synuclein. The paper is slated to appear in a special issue of PNAS on the chemical physics of protein folding.
  • A recent paper sheds novel insight into the intricate mechanism of protein amyloid formation.
  • Graduate student Erika joins for a lab rotation
  • Undergraduate Asha continues her internship in the lab
  • Ashok to give invited talks in 2012 at Gordon Research Conferences (Protein Folding Dynamics; Intrinsically Disordered Proteins; Atomic and Molecular Interactions), St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (Symposium on Biomolecular Structure, Dynamics and Function), Protein Society Meeting, and Pittcon
  • High-School teacher Lesli does a summer internship in the lab
  • Our recent Nature Methods Paper was highlighted in TSRI Press Release, Nature Methods News and Views, Physics Today Highlight, Faculty of 1000 Must Read Paper, ACS Chemical Biology Spotlight, PSI Nature Structural Biology Knowledgebase
  • Crystal presents to visiting high-school science teachers
  • Allan wins post-doctoral IDP subgroup award at the 2011 Biophysical Society Meeting
  • Allan, Crystal and Ashok speak at the 2011 Biophysical Society Meeting