Proteins are integral to our daily lives – from food to materials that make up our body – without which we cannot function. For proteins to perform, they have to be properly folded, that is the arrangement in space has to be precise. What would happen if they are not? Can they be fixed? This talk will give an overview on how proteins are made in a cell, the problems that arise when they are not folded properly, what can be done to prevent or treat such conditions, and how we expand protein functions beyond the natural ones.
Details for the talk:
Date: 15 October 2014 (Wednesday)
Time: 1:00pm – 2:00pm
Venue: Lee Wee Nam Library Level 2, Video Wall Area
“Q: What is your work about?”
A: … I studied nano-scale protein “cages”. These are strands of proteins folded into cage-like structures. Protein cages are found in nature. For instance, ferritin (a protein produced in the body) stores and releases iron. When I came here [to NTU], I wanted to further engineer these things – to understand the assembly mechanism of this cage so we can specifically control their disassembly. Protein cages are good for drug delivery. You can engineer them very specifically to home in on cancer cells instead of spreading drugs all over the body, and break apart when they get to their destination.”
– Sierin Lim, Assistant Professor of Bioengineering, School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University
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