Exploiting conformational change: from molecular balances to transmembrane machines Seminar

Conformational change is a central theme within the Cockroft group. Much of the talk will illustrate how synthetic two-state folding molecules known as molecular balances can be used to quantify difficult-to-study noncovalent interactions including van der Waals dispersion forces, hydrogenbonded cooperativity, isotope effects, and solvent effects. Moving away from equilibrium systems, the final part of the talk will introduce our early investigations into the development of transmembrane molecular machines that share many characteristics with biological transmembrane pumps. I will show how a synthetic DNA co-polymer, a transmembrane protein pore and enzymes can be assembled into biosupramolecular devices that turn over a chemical fuels to drive repeated cycles of nanomechanical motion across a membrane.

Example references:

L. Yang, C. Adam, G. S. Nichol & S. L. Cockroft, Nature Chem., 2013,5(12),1006-10.

C. Adam, L. Yang & S. L. Cockroft, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2015, 54(4), 1164-7.

L. Yang, J. Brazier, T. Hubbard, D. M. Rogers & S. L. Cockroft, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2016, 55, 912-6.

L. Yang, C. Adam & S. L. Cockroft, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2015, 137(32), 10084-7.

M. A. Watson, S. L. Cockroft. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2016, 55(4), 1345-9.