Kaufman Lecture Series - Protein and RNA Association and Dynamics in the Cell

Protein and RNA folding and binding reactions are generally quite fast and involve small free energy differences. That speed has proven useful when comparing computer simulations of protein and nucleic acid folding and binding with test-tube experiments. Furthermore, it also means that biomacromolecules can be sensitive to the environment that biases their energy landscapes, such as variations between cell compartments and tissues, or derivatization by PEG for drug delivery. I will discuss molecular dynamics simulations, test-tube experiments, in-cell measurements, and measurements in animal models that highlight the sensitivity of biomolecular folding and binding dynamics to the solvation environment, providing organisms with yet another way of modulating their phenotype, and researchers with ways of identifying normal and abnormal tissues.