Strategic Centre for Biomembrane Research
- Reference number
- A3 05:200
- Start and end dates
- 060101-151231
- Amount granted
- 57 000 000 SEK
- Administrative organization
- Stockholm University
- Research area
- Life Sciences
Summary
The general scientific and industrial interest in membrane proteins has grown sharply over the past few years, posing new problems and technical challenges for protein chemistry, proteomics, structural biochemistry, biophysics, bioinformatics, and biotechnology. Biological membranes provide unique environments for biomolecular function. They define the cellular architecture and provide the foundation for cellular identity. The study of biomembranes is a major focus in contemporary life science research. The central focus of CBR will be on membrane proteins which are involved in an impressive range of biological functions – e.g., signaling, energy transduction, small molecule and ion transport, cell motility, cell-cell interactions, nerve conduction – and are targets for a majority of the pharmaceutical drugs currently on the market. Broadly speaking, CBR will focus on two closely related research areas: (i) membrane protein biochemistry (proteomics, bioinformatics, overexpression, purification, and structure-function studies), and (ii) membrane protein assembly, folding, and dynamics. The first area is of immediate relevance to the pharmaceutical and biotech industry. The second area encompasses more basic research dealing with the mechanisms of membrane protein biogenesis in vivo. The mission of CBR will be to integrate these activities into a coherent structure providing the possibility to move easily from basic studies on membrane protein assembly to improved systems for overproduction and purification, from the identification of new proteins and protein complexes to their functional and structural characterization, and between experimental studies and computational approaches. CBR will seek to expand and further develop collaborations and common initiatives with the pharmaceutical and biotech industry, and to provide a rich environment for the training of PhD students and postdocs.