Physics Colloquium, October 18, 2011
Concepts of Protein Dynamics Hans Frauenfelder

Los Alamos National Lab

The number of different proteins is so vast that it is not possible to study them all in detail. A goal of biological physics is therefore to create a theory of protein structure, dynamics, and function that is quantitative and has predictive power. This goal has not yet been reached, but some progress has been made. Pauli wrote in a letter to Heisenberg that the first step in building a theory is to establish the concepts. This advice holds also for biological physics. A number of such concepts have already been found, namely the existence of multiple conformations, organized in a hierarchic landscape; different classes of motions, and control of the motions by the bulk environment (α) and the hydration shell (βh). The exploration and characterization of these concepts and the search for additional ones requires the close collaboration of experiment, theory, and computation, involving biologists, chemists, and physicists. I will sketch some of the results that may turn out to be important for the goal of finding a general theory and that may be valid for all biomolecules.

Dr. Frauenfelder Web Site

4:00 p.m., Physics Research Building (PRB), Room 1080

Reception at 3:45 p.m., Atrium, PRB