Nanoscience Discussion Group

What is a scaffold protein? What happens to the progeny of eukaryotic cells when you alter the sequence of their parent DNA? Can reshaping a helical peptide affect its surface activity?

These are some of the questions answered at the Nanoscience Discussion Group on February 10, 2009 held at NYU. Presentations were shown by three innovative scientists in the nanotech field.

Design of multi-Functional Proteins presented by Jin Ryoun Kim examined using maltose-binding proteins from PfMBP (pyrococcus furiosus maltose-binding protein) and EcMBP (E. coli maltose-binding protein) to stabilize a protein while keeping its active properties.

In the presentation RNA-mediated Epigenetic Programming of DNA Rearrangements given by Laura Landweber changes made to the RNA template sequence and re-injected into cells were observed in first and second generation progeny. 

The final presentation Dynamic Surface Activity by Folding and Unfolding an Alpha-Helical Peptide by Raymond Tu the properties of a structure created by manipulating a helical peptide were observed.