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Biography |
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Kurt Wüthrich shares his time between the ETH Zürich, Switzerland, where he is a Professor of Biophysics, and The Scripps Research Institute in California, USA, where he is a Professor of Structural Biology. His research interests are in molecular structural biology, and in structural genomics. His specialty is nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy with biological macromolecules, where he contributed the NMR method of three-dimensional structure determination of proteins and nucleic acids in solution. The Wüthrich groups have solved a large number of NMR structures of proteins and nucleic acids, including the immunosuppression system cyclophilin A/cyclosporin A, the homeodomain–operator DNA transcriptional regulatory system, and prion proteins from a variety of species. Kurt Wüthrich’s achievements have been recognized by the Prix Louis Jeantet de Médecine, the Kyoto Prize in Advanced Technology, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and by a number of other awards and honorary degrees.
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Abstract |
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Post-genomic Exploration of the Protein Universe: The availability of the complete genomic DNA sequences of a wide selection of organisms has resulted in a dramatic expansion of knowledge on the protein universe, which presents structural biologists with novel opportunities in “structural genomics”. In contrast to protein structure determination in classical structural biology, research in structural genomics is focused on gene products with unknown three-dimensional structures as well as unknown functions, which presents scientists with entirely new challenges. My research group is specialized in the use of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy for studies of the molecular structure of proteins. The NMR method is unique by the fact that atomic resolution structures of biological macromolecules can be determined in solutions which may resemble body fluids such as blood, stomach fluid or saliva. Results from NMR studies are combined with data from protein crystal structure determination to establish new foundations for research in areas such as healthcare, nutrition and agriculture.
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