The ultimate goal of our research is to better understand fundamental structure-function and structure-reactivity relationships in proteins. Our research focuses on the nature and specificity of protein-ligand and protein-protein interactions, and also on protein folding, stability and allostery. We use protein engineering and biophysics to dissect the chemical reactions of proteins.

One of the systems we are working on is PDZ domains and their interactions with various ligands. The PDZ domains are present in numerous proteins where they function as adaptors, governing binding to other proteins and thereby modulating, for example, signal tranduction and scaffolding. We are also looking at the E6 protein of human papillomavirus. Read more about it in the masters project below.




New paper on the binding reaction of a flexible beta finger:
Karlsson, A., Chi, C. N., Engström, Å., and Jemth, P. (2012) The transition state for coupled folding and binding for a flexible beta finger. J. Mol. Biol. In press [abstract]

New paper on the binding reaction of disordered peptides:
Haq, S. R., Chi, C. N., Bach, A., Dogan, J., Engström, Å., Hultqvist, G., Karlsson, A., Lundström, P., Montemiglio, L. C., Strømgaard, K., Gianni, S., and Jemth, P. (2011) Side chain interactions form late and cooperatively in the binding reaction between disordered peptides and PDZ domains.J. Am. Chem. Soc. 134, 599-605 [abstract]

New paper on intradomain cross-talk between residues:
Gianni, S., Haq, S. R., Montemiglio, L. C., Jürgens, M. C., Engström, Å., Chi, C. N., Brunori, M., and Jemth, P. (2011) Sequence specific long-range networks in PDZ domains tune their binding selectivity. J. Biol. Chem. 286, 27167-27175 [abstract]

Paper of the week in J. Biol. Chem:
We demonstrate that the human papillomavirus E6 oncoprotein has multivalent interaction with one of its cellular targets, SAP97:
Chi, C. N., Bach, A., Engstöm, Å., Strømgaard, K., Lundström, P., Ferguson, N., and Jemth, P. (2011) Biophysical characterization of the complex between human papillomavirus E6 protein and synapse associated protein 97. J. Biol. Chem. 286, 3597-3606 [abstract]
Press release from J. Biol. Chem.
First author profile on Celestine Chi!

Single protein molecules going through nanopores:
Freedman, K., Jürgens, M., Prabhu, A., Jemth, P., Edel, J. B., and Kim, M-J. (2011) Chemical, thermal and electric-induced unfolding of single protein molecules studied using nanopores. Anal. Chem. 83, 5137-5144 [abstract]



Check out the links in the left margin for descriptions of different projects!

Group members:
Andreas Karlsson (Forskningsassistent)
Celestine Chi (Postdoc)
Greta Hultqvist (PhD student)
Jakob Dogan (postdoc)
Nakash Dinesh Shetty (MSc student)
Viveka Ramaiah (MSc student)
Xin Mu (MSc student)


Stefano Gianni (Honorary member)

Åke Engström (Honorary member)

A ghost in our coldroom!

Are you looking for a Masters project? Do you like or do you want to learn biophysics and protein engineering? This is what you want: Masters project.pdf [88 kb]

Perhaps a project on HPV proteins? Human papillomavirus is a very common virus, and most people are infected during their lifetime. Some HPV strains cause cervical cancer and we are looking at viral proteins involved in the carcinogenesis: Masters project 2.pdf [40 kb]

Previous group members:
Raza Haq (PhD student)
Naida Suleymanova (UGSBR student)
Tanja Schmidt (Erasmus student)
Rait Kivi (visiting PhD student)
Aravindan Varadarajan (MSc student)
Maike Jürgens (MSc student)
Abdul Aziz (MSc student)
Lisa Elfström (Postdoc)
Wang Huiqun (Visiting scholar)
Yao Shi (MSc student)
Nicoletta Calosci (PhD student, guest student)
Lisa Hägglund (MSc student)
Lars Eklund (MSc student)
Daohua Lou (Project student)