CECAM Workshop
(Jointly Organised with COST-MOLSIMU Programme)
BIOMEMBRANE ORGANIZATION and PROTEIN FUNCTION
- From Computation to Experiment -
CECAM, Lyon, France, April 4-6, 2005
Scientific Motivation
The purpose of this workshop is to review and discuss recent advances and to identify
still unresolved problems in computer simulations as well as experimental studies on
the lateral organization of lipid membranes and its interplay with the function of
transmembrane proteins. This emergent branch of biophysics clearly needs interdisciplinary
collaboration and in particular closer interaction between experimentalists and simulators,
and a CECAM workshop at this stage may have a really true impact on advances.
Objectives
At this workshop we attempt to discuss both basic physical concepts and
properties related to specific (model) systems at the focus of the workshop
(lipid bilayers, bipolar-lipid ("bola lipid") monolayers, transmembrane proteins,
and their mutual interactions), as well as related methodological problems
pertinent to both computer simulation studies and experimental studies. The
topics to be discussed will include
- Relevance of physical quantities like the lipid composition and, depending
on that, the lateral pressure profile of a biomembrane for explaining the
interplay between bilayers and transmembrane channel proteins.
- Dynamics of transmembrane proteins and the "feed-back" on physical
properties of the lipid bilayer (e.g., how is lipid composition and accordingly
the lateral pressure profile modified close to the bilayer/protein interface?)
- Basic phenomena like general anaesthesia and their possible explanation
in terms of non-local physical mechanisms (e.g., in terms of the lateral
pressure profile).
- Which techniques (if any) might be able to make the lateral pressure profile
accessible in experimental studies?
- What is the current status and what are the future perspectives of coarse-grained
simulation techniques (MD, DPD) with regard to the modeling of
static/dynamic properties of lipid aggregates (bilayers, vesicles) and trans-membrane proteins?
- Relevance of physical quantities like the lipid composition and, depending
on that, the lateral pressure profile of a biomembrane for explaining the
interplay between bilayers and transmembrane channel proteins.
- Dynamics of transmembrane proteins and the "feed-back" on physical
properties of the lipid bilayer (e.g., how is lipid composition and accordingly
the lateral pressure profile modified close to the bilayer/protein interface?)
- Basic phenomena like general anaesthesia and their possible explanation
in terms of non-local physical mechanisms (e.g., in terms of the lateral
pressure profile).
- Which techniques (if any) might be able to make the lateral pressure profile
accessible in experimental studies?
- What is the current status and what are the future perspectives of coarse-grained simulation techniques (MD, DPD) with regard to the modeling of static/dynamic properties of lipid aggregates (bilayers, vesicles) and trans-membrane proteins?
Format
The schedule will comprise ca. 18 invited talks of 30 minutes duration each, and a
session of several shorter (10 minutes) oral contributions.
The workshop will assemble researchers from both the computational and the
experimental domain of biomembrane/protein-related research. The schedule
will allow for ample time for discussions and will include wrap-up discussions
at the end of each afternoon.
The workshop will assemble researchers from both the computational and the experimental domain of biomembrane/protein-related research. The schedule will allow for ample time for discussions and will include wrap-up discussions at the end of each afternoon.
Last update: 31 May 2005 / Gerhard Besold