Education

M. Sc., Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay.

Ph. D., Physical Chemistry,  California Institute of Technology.

Postdoctoral Research

University of California San Diego.

Protein Dynamics, Folding, Design and Assembly.

Proteins are the workhorses of life. So, it is important to be able to both predict and engineer their function. Chemically, a protein is a linear chain of amino acids which folds to a unique three-dimensional structure (true for most proteins). This native or folded shape (as seen in the crystal or NMR structure of the protein) is essential for function. In addition, proteins are constantly moving and these dynamics aid binding and allostery. Thus, protein motion, both folding to a unique three-dimensional structure and movement of this structure, facilitates protein function.

Computational molecular dynamics (MD) provides a detailed description of protein motion not often accessible to experiment. My group uses computational methods to understand the architecture of proteins. We are specifically interested in understanding how protein function and conformational dynamics affect the folding of proteins and how folding simulations can by themselves inform on protein function.