Alexandre Bonvin bio photo

Computational Structural Biology group focusing on dissecting, understanding and predicting biomolecular interactions at the molecular level.

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Supported by:




A NWO TOP-PUNT grant of 2 million euros has been granted to the Baldus and Bonvin labs (Bijvoet Center, Faculty of Science - Chemistry, Utrecht University).

Caught in the act: a combined magnetic resonance and modelling approach to capture cellular machines at work

In this project, the two labs will join forces to describe and understand interactions and dynamics of membrane and membrane-associated proteins in situ and at the most detailed, i.e., atomic level, following an integrative approach that combines latest advancements in the fields of experimental cellular structural biology, in particular solid-state NMR, and computational structural biology to explicitly study membrane complexes and their workings at atomic scale.

The combination of experimental results and integrative modelling will allow us to provide unprecedented insight into two principal biological processes in situ: We will study how molecules are transported to and inserted into cellular compartments and we will follow how cellular signals can trigger cell growth in the context of cancer. Our studies will provide crucial structural and dynamic links that elucidate the workings of membrane-embedded protein complexes, potentially leading the way to novel strategies to address antibiotic resistance or the effectiveness of cancer therapy.