Talk by Professor Sandro Keller on Native Nanodiscs for Membrane Proteins

Native nanodiscs encapsulate individual membrane proteins or membrane-protein complexes within a lipid-bilayer environment, providing a versatile platform for biophysical and structural studies under well-controlled yet native-like conditions. Our laboratory focuses on developing methods for the direct, detergent-free extraction of proteins from cellular membranes into nanodiscs that preserve both the overall bilayer architecture and the local lipid composition of the native membrane. Recently, we have designed and tested novel amphiphilic polymers and small-molecule amphiphiles with improved properties for forming nanodiscs compatible with a wide range of ensemble and single- molecule biophysical techniques. In this talk, I will present selected applications, including oncoprotein–antibody and peptide–lipid interactions quantified by microfluidic diffusional sizing (MDS) and flow-induced dispersion analysis (FIDA), membrane-protein complexes analyzed by mass spectrometry (MS), and large membrane-protein assemblies examined by cryogenic electron microscopy (cryoEM).