2024 brings a new seminar series at PoL. In the slot of our PoL hour we will host speakers from all over the world roughly once a month.
Water Everywhere: In Protein (Mis)folding, Membrane Hydration, and Superresolution Microscopy
Prof. Dr. Mischa Bonn, Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research Mainz
Water serves as the fundamental solvent for life. Previously, in biological contexts, water has been described as a continuous medium with specific attributes like density, dielectric function, and viscosity, which sufficed for understanding. However, this description becomes inadequate when biological systems are scrutinized at the molecular level. Molecular intricacies become crucial, particularly when examining phenomena such as water wires within aquaporin proteins and delving into the molecular dynamics of membrane hydration. In my presentation, I will elucidate recent breakthroughs in molecular spectroscopy concerning water within a biological framework. This will be specifically focused on unraveling water's involvement in protein misfolding, the organization of lipids within biological membranes, and the application of superresolution microscopy within biological contexts.