William M. Clemons, Jr. - How Do You Make a Greasy Protein?

An impermeable greasy membrane called a lipid bilayer—acting a bit like a water balloon—encapsulates all cells of organisms, including those of humans. Information and nutrients cross this barrier via an important class of greasy molecules called membrane proteins. Because of their central role in cellular communication, these proteins are hugely important in medicine, as they account for the majority of drug targets.

In this talk, Clemons will discuss the difficulties associated with making membrane proteins and highlight our current understanding of how the cell overcomes those difficulties.

William M. (Bil) Clemons, Jr. is professor of biochemistry at Caltech.

Presented by: Caltech Committee on Institute Programs