Group leader : Bernhard Brutscher
The ability to characterize the structure and dynamics of biomolecules (proteins, nucleic acids, sugars), as well as interactions with physiological partners has made NMR an essential tool for understanding biological processes. The study of molecular complexes, even with low affinity, opens up powerful opportunities for the development of pharmacologically active molecules. The Biomolecular NMR group is composed of 4 research teams that develop solution and solid-state NMR methodologies to address a variety of biological and biophysical questions, including protein folding and chaperoning, mechanisms of enzyme function, and cell wall/membrane biogenesis in bacteria and mitochondria. These biological topics are addressed primarily by NMR spectroscopic methods, but these are supplemented whenever possible by other biophysical techniques, particularly SAXS, EM, and crystallography, as well as in vivo/functional experiments, mostly performed in external collaborations.