Lipid Membranes & Protein Interactions

Lipid membranes are ubiquitous cellular structures, vital for all organisms from bacteria to eukaryotes. Understanding how lipids achieve its structural and chemical integrity remains an area of active investigation. Research in this area examines lipids from a structural and functional perspective. Interactions between lipids and proteins are crucial and serves to stabilize, functionalize, and regulate membrane and peripherally-associated proteins.

Participating Faculty in this Area:

• Mathias Lösche, Peptide interactions with membranes; membrane-peripheral proteins; X-ray/neutron scattering
• John Nagle, Lipid structure
• Guillermo Romero, Protein regulation by lipids
• Judith Klein-Seetharaman, Lipid-induced conformational changes in membrane proteins
• Patrick van der Wel, Solid state NMR of protein-lipid interactions