[seminar] Seminar FO , Žagrović

[hbuljan at phy.hr]

Poštovani kolege,

   u utorak 15.04. s početkom u 14:15 sati (točno), predavanje
naslovljeno "What can biologists learn from statistical mechanics:
conformational averaging in structural biophysics" održati će
Dr. Bojan Žagrović s MEDILSa u Splitu. Predavanje će se
održati na Fizičkom odsjeku, soba F08.
Sažetak predavanja nalazi se u nastavku poruke,

Srdačan pozdrav,
Hrvoje Buljan

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SEMINAR FIZIČKOG ODSJEKA
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Vrijeme:   utorak, 15. 04. 2008., 14:15 sati (točno)
Mjesto:    Fizički odsjek, Bijenička c. 32, predavaonica F08


     What can biologists learn from statistical mechanics:
       conformational averaging in structural biophysics

                    Dr. Bojan Žagrović
           Mediterranean Institute for Life Sciences,
                      Split, Croatia

One of the central preoccupations of all of molecular biology is studying
the connection between the structure of biomolecules (proteins, DNA,
carbohydrates, lipids) and their function.  However, most biomolecular
structures are determined on the basis of highly time- and
ensemble-averaged experimental observables.  From X-ray crystallography to
nuclear magnetic resonance to circular dichroism, most techniques in
structural biophysics deal with large ensembles of identical biomolecules
and operate on time-scales that are much longer than the relevant
relaxation times.  Given that biomolecules fluctuate, change structure and
can correctly be described only on the level of ensembles, it is important
to ask how representative and ultimately useful are the idealized averages
coming from the experiment?  Can it be that sometimes experiments filter
and amplify certain aspects of molecular structure at the expense of
others?  Finally, is it possible that sometimes experiment, due to
averaging, produces structural motifs that are not microscopically
persistent or even relevant?  In this talk, I will discuss some recent
progress in addressing these issues, and demonstrate the utility of
molecular dynamics simulations in such attempts.



				Voditelj seminara FO
				Hrvoje Buljan, hbuljan at phy.hr
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