CMCB Life Science Seminar: Prof. Sonja Schmid, Wageningen University & Research, Labortatory of Biophysics, The Netherlands

Host: Michael Schlierf (B CUBE)

Title: “Dissecting the molecular driving forces of life with single-molecule resolution”

Abstract: Proteins are the molecular makers in our body. Researchers successfully identified a vast proteome, a dense web of metabolic interactions, and many thousands of static 3D structures. But the essential dynamic processes causing protein function are still challenging to detect – yet they are the key to the energetics controlling life at the nanoscale. We therefore focus on acquiring time-resolved information to reveal the nano-dynamics of biomolecular systems, such as cancer-assisting chaperone, kinase proteins, and CRISPR-associated proteins.

In this talk, I will present our latest results from optical and electrical single-molecule experiments. FRET allows us to watch single proteins at work in real time [1,2,3], and with our DyeCycling approach [4], we can now overcome its infamous photobleaching limitation and detect previously hidden kinetic phenomena. In addition, we recently presented the NEOtrap 2.0, a label-free technique to monitor the time evolution of single unmodified proteins electrically, using nanopores [5,6]. Lastly, I will share how we revealed the hidden power of type-III CRISPR-Cas – one-by-one. Our overarching mission is to push beyond current detection limits, to learn how biomolecular function arises at the nanoscale.