Talk by Jeanne Stachowiak on Intrinsic disorder as an organizing principle for membrane biology

Jeanne Stachowiak from the Department of Biomedical Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin will give a talk on "Intrinsic disorder as an organizing principle for membrane biology". 

Please email Kenneth Lindegaard Madsen at Kennethma@sund.ku.dk to register for the talk. 

Where: Faculty Lounge, lokale 7.15.107A

When: March 3rd at 13:00 – 14:00

Abstract: 

As the gateway for cellular entry and communication, the surface of the cell holds the answers to critical questions in biology and medicine, while simultaneously providing inspiration for engineered materials and systems. Thousands of distinct protein species reside on cellular membranes, yet functional membrane protein complexes can form within seconds in response to diverse stimuli. Traditionally, structured protein assemblies have been thought to organize membrane surfaces. In contrast, our recent work has shown that a flexible network of intrinsically disordered proteins helps to catalyze the assembly of endocytic structures and cytoskeletal filaments at the plasma membrane. Specifically, we find that an intermediate strength of interaction between these proteins, which leads to liquid-like properties at the macro-scale, maximizes the efficiency of protein assembly. More broadly, our lab seeks to understand and mimic the ability of biological membranes to spontaneously reorganize in response to diverse cues. This remarkable capacity for self-organization, which is largely absent in man-made materials, holds great promise for the design of responsive, cell-like therapeutic systems.