Theoretical Perspectives on Amyloid Protein Aggregation and Fibril Formation

Speaker: Dr. John Straub, Boston University

Host: Dr. Millard Alexander, UMCP

Abstract: Considerable progress has been made, using experiments and computations, to decipher the general principles governing the mechanism of formation of oligomers and fibrils of amyloid proteins implicated in diseases. Changes in sequence and environment (including pH, salt, co-solvents, and membrane) are observed to influence the aggregation process and the specific form of the ultimate fibril state. I will share the results of recent computational studies exploring the role of sequence, charge, and cholesterol on the early and late stages of the aggregation pathway of amyloid-β (Aβ) protein, associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

Physical Chemistry Seminar