Melissa Birol
Imaging disordered protein systems through different scales
Melissa Birol
The Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology - Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz-Association, Germany
Intrinsically disordered proteins are abundantly expressed in the brain and are commonly associated with the pathology of devastating neurodegenerative diseases. Despite extensive study on understanding abnormal aggregation of these proteins in disease, many open questions remain regarding both the exact functions of these proteins and the triggers that may lead to pathology. We use fluorescence lifetime microscopy, single molecule fluorescence and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy to characterize the interactions of IDPs with cellular binding partners to provide insight into their functional mechanisms. We explore the different biological length scales bringing insights from the molecular, to the cellular and tissue levels. Which, in turn, may be used to identify novel therapeutic approaches to treat disease.
