An Interactive Tour of the Living Cell
Theoretical Biophysics Group
NIH Resource for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics
Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
http://www.ks.uiuc.edu/
Presentation Schedule (30 minutes each, in 3151 Beckman):
Fri March 8: 10am 11am 1pm 2pm; Sat March 9: 12pm 1pm
Welcome to the Theoretical Biophysics Group and the 2002 UIUC Engineering Open House! This group combines technology with science to make discoveries and predictions about the way the molecules of life work. The group's programmers develop a visualization program, VMD, and a simulation program, NAMD, that our scientists and others around the world use to study molecules. Today we will use VMD and NAMD to give you a tour of three molecular mechanisms that are essential for life.
How your genes are controlled: Each cell in your body has a
complete copy of your DNA, which contains the blueprints for everything
your body can do. However, since cells need to do different things at
different times, so they contain machines for "turning
off" the parts of the DNA that are not needed. We have been studying
the most famous of these genetic controls, the lac operon
(shown at right), using NAMD together with a mathematical model of the
bending of DNA. The use of such models simplifies our computations
and is often
essential for understanding very complex molecular mechanisms.
You can learn more about this project at http://www.ks.uiuc.edu/Research/pro_DNA/elastic/
.
Photosynthesis - plants' solar power source:
The energy that powers our bodies comes from the sun, and most of the
sunlight we use is first absorbed by the molecular structures like the
one shown here: Photosystem I. Several members of the group are
studying Photosystem I employing mathematical and computational
techniques together with VMD. We hope to learn how evolution
engineered such an efficient solar cell and what parts are important
for the solar cell's operation.
You can learn more about this project at http://www.ks.uiuc.edu/Research/ps1/
.
Cellular plumbing - how water flows into cells: Water is
essential for life, and a good plumbing system is critical for the
cell. We are studying the aquaporins, molecules that work as
pipes, allowing water to pass through cell membranes. Using NAMD and
VMD together, we observe the natural motion of these molecules. A
virtual-reality device allows us to reach into the simulation and
experiment with the molecules by hand. This method, Interactive Molecular
Dynamics, gives researchers new insights into
elaborate molecular systems.
You can learn more about this project at
http://www.ks.uiuc.edu/Research/smd_imd/imd-glpf/
.