Our research activities fall within 3 main areas, which all relate to the study of the kinetics and thermodynamics of protein conformational changes, namely membrane protein folding, protein-detergent interactions and protein fibrillation. These areas are linked by a keen interest in understanding the mechanistic and thermodynamic behaviour of proteins in different circumstances by quantifying the strength of internal side-chain interactions as well as contacts with solvent molecules, whether it be detergents, denaturants, stabilizing salts and osmolytes or lipids. Ultimately we hope this will lead to a greater manipulative ability vis-a-vis processes of both basic, pharmaceutical and industrial relevance. The general approach is to use available spectroscopic techniques (fluorescence, CD, stopped-flow, FTIR, NMR and dynamic and static light scattering) to generate data which can be analyzed in a quantitative manner to develop models and mechanisms for conformational changes at the molecular level.
2019.11.28 | iNano
A total of DKK 11,7 million have been awarded by the Carlsberg Foundation to researchers currently or formerly affiliated with Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO) at Aarhus University.
2019.11.20 | iNano
PhD student in Associate Professor Henrik Birkedals research group, Nina Kølln Wittig, receives award for best oral presentation at the conference ”Bioinspired Materials: from understanding, through processing, to replication”.
2019.10.24 | iNano
With DKK 67.4 million (EUR 8.9 mill.) from the Danish National Research Foundation, professor Liv Hornekær at Aarhus University will establish Center for Interstellar Catalysis, in order to find out how and when the building blocks of life formed in the universe.