Abstract
Membrane proteins are essential building blocks in processes such as respiration and photosynthesis, and they are also the target of over half of all modern medicinal drugs. Their four-dimensional structure is known to be essential for function, yet our knowledge of how large and complex membrane proteins fold is in its infancy. Double electron-electron resonance (DEER) spectroscopy provides a new approach to tackle this challenge. In this project we will use site-directed spin labelling combined with DEER to unravel how members of the major facilitator superfamily of transporters fold and to begin to understand how respiratory complex I is assembled.
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