Nanoscale dynamics of proteins and their interaction (A05)

• Subject Area: Optics, Quantum Optics and Physics of Atoms, Molecules and Plasmas
• Term: from 2009 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 28586557

The core experimental aim of the project is to develop a new single-molecule spectroscopic method, dynamic single-molecule Metal Induced Energy Transfer (or dynamic smMIET), which will be suited to study the conformational dynamics of intrinsically disordered peptides (sequences of FG-repeat proteins from the nuclear pore), and of small folding protein motifs, in particular helix-turn-helix (HTH) and WW-domain motifs. SmMIET is based on the distance-dependent quenching of the fluorescence emission of fluorescent molecules by metallic or semi-metallic thin films, and it requires labeling of the peptide/protein of interest by only one dye, in contrast to single-molecule Förster Resonance Energy Transfer, which requires labeling with a donor and an acceptor dye label. In parallel, we will develop and apply a new protocol for the 1:1 simulation of these smMIET experiments.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 755: Nanoscale Photonic Imaging
• Applicant Institution: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Jörg Enderlein; Professor Dr. Helmut Grubmüller