Associate professor Ingemar André, Biochemistry and Structural Biology, Lund University, Sweden

Computational Design of Protein and Peptide Self-assembly

Large protein complexes carry out some of the most complex functions in biology. Such structures are often assembled spontaneously from individual components through the process of self-assembly. By coupling the powerful design template of self-assembly with computational protein design we can engineer new protein assemblies with custom-made structure and function. I will describe three denovo-designed protein/peptide assemblies created using this approach: A Leucine Rich Repeat Protein with predefined geometrical shape, a peptide fiber with a unique subunit fold and a higher order coiled-coil with a pH dependent oligomerization switch. I will also describe how this design approach can be applied to the engineering of more complex assemblies and touch upon some of the challenges involved in the design of self-assembling systems.