How Do Proteins Fold And Why Is It Crucial To Our Health?

Proteins in our body play a critical job in keeping us functioning and alive. They allow us to move, convert energy, build our cells, carry oxygen throughout our body, fight infections as well as sense and transport all manner of things within and between our cells; including information. Our proteins, as two-dimensional chains of amino acids are built according to instructions in our genes but the protein is functional only when it is folded into a specific three-dimensional shape; much like origami. Since our health is determined by the functionality of the proteins in our body, it is crucial that our proteins fold accurately and in a timely manner. Increasingly common disorders such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Type 2 Diabetes and even Cancer have been shown to be associated with the misfolding of proteins.

Professor Jane Clarke is a world-leading researcher who investigates how proteins fold and how they normally avoid misfolding. Such basic research will not only help better understand how our body works and responds to its environment but it will also accelerate the identification of new strategies to combat protein misfolding diseases.

Date

3 Dec 2018

Time

5:30pm – 7pm

Venue

JC 1, Level 1, Sunway University

Speaker

Professor Jane Clarke FRS FRSC FMedSci
President of Wolfson College
and Professor of Molecular Biophysics,
Department of Chemistry
University of Cambridge