Small can be Big: Mimicking Protein Function using Small Peptides

Nature provides us extremely efficient devices such as ion channels
derived from proteins. Ion channel proteins are pores that selectively
transport ions across cell membranes. The ion selectivity of these
channels has been attributed to functional groups inside their pores. A
precise understanding of transmembrane ion transport could facilitate the
rational design of drugs, biomimetic molecular switches and sensors.
However, the instability of large proteins outside the cellular
environment makes it challenging to understand their transport mechanism
or use them for practical applications. Hence, the development of readily
accessible robust oligopeptides that mimic the function of ion channels is
desirable. To date, there are few examples of internally functionalized
small biomimetic peptidic pores, a majority of which are not readily
accessible. Our research group is interested in developing small acyclic
octapeptides incorporated with unnatural amino acids that could provide
scaffolds for functionalizing the pore interior. The talk will describe
the development and activity of these peptidic pores.

About the Speaker:

Nandita Madhavan got her master's degree from IIT Bombay. She joined the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for her Ph.D., where her
research under the guidance of Dr. Mary Gin focused on the development of
signal activated artificial ion channels. She joined Dr. Marcus Weck's
research group at Georgia Institute of Technology as a post-doctoral
fellow to learn more about polymers. Her research in the Weck group
focused on the development of polymer supported catalysts for asymmetric
organic synthesis. She joined the department of chemistry at IIT Madras in
2009. Besides chemistry, Nandita is interested in understanding and
exploring novel methods of teaching and learning. She is also affiliated
with the Teaching Learning Center at IIT Madras.