Dr. Adrian Elcock
Department of Biochemistry
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA

Monday, May 4, 2009
3:00 pm (CT)
3269 Beckman Institute

Abstract

This talk will outline current efforts in our laboratory to develop realistic molecular-level simulations of events occurring in the E. coli cytoplasm. A brief (accessible) introduction to our computational methodology will be given, and the advantages and disadvantages of the approach will be highlighted. Simulations will then be presented showing diffusion and interaction in 1000-molecule models of the cytoplasm. The potential consequences of the cytoplasm environment for the thermodynamics of protein folding and association will then be addressed. Finally, some preliminary simulations of more complicated phenomena that occur inside prokaryotic cell will be briefly outlined.