Department of Chemistry
Seminar Announcement
Date/Time/Venue
Title/Speaker
17 Mar (Thu)
3pm – 4pm
“Multi-scale” simulation of processes in
membrane proteins and biomembranes:
methods and applications
@ S8 Level 3
Executive
Classroom
Professor Qiang Cui
University of Wisconsin – Madison, USA
Host : Asst Prof Wang Jian
About the Speaker
Professor Qiang Cui graduated from the Chemical Physics program in
the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in 1993.
After receiving his Ph.D. in 1997 from Emory University, Atlanta, USA
with Professor Keiji Morokuma, a renowned quantum chemist, he did
his postdoctoral research with Professor Martin Karplus at Harvard
University.
In 2001, he joined University of Wisconsin-Madison and is currently a
Professor of Chemistry. He received the CAPA (Chinese-American
Chemistry & Chemical Biology Professors Association) Distinguished
Faculty Award and H.I. Romnes Faculty Fellowship in 2010.
Abstract
I’ll discuss a number of topics that represent our efforts in developing reliable molecular
models for describing chemical and physical processes in membrane proteins and
biomembranes. This is an exciting yet challenging research area because of the multiple
length and time scales that are present in the relevant problems. As an example of
chemical processes in membrane proteins, I’ll discuss the problem of proton pumping,
several key mechanistic questions of interest and how sophisticated QM/MM simulations
can help glean new insights. As an example of problems that feature very different
scales, I’ll discuss the development of coarse-grained (both particle and continuum)
models that hold the promise of better understanding membrane deformations induced
by amphiphiles, peptides and proteins, which are implicated in many fascinating
membrane-mediate processes, such as mechanosensation, membrane translocation
and membrane fusion.
All are Welcome