COURSES

Goals

Students learn the basics of bioinformatics, protein structures, and become acquainted with methods for their analysis and prediction. General Competences: - The student will master research methods, procedures and processes in 3-D protein structure prediction. - The student will be able to use the gained knowledge in research. - The student will develop communication skills to present research achievement in the international environment. - Work in team (in international environment). Course Specific Competences: This course prepares students to work with 3- dimensional molecular models of proteins in academic and industrial research environments.

Curriculum

Within this course, protein structures will be researched from two basic aspects: the laws of physics and the theory of evolution. From the aspect of physics, the native structure of proteins is the result of forces acting on the atoms of protein and solvent in the process of its folding, while from the biological aspect the native structure of protein is the result of evolution. Both basic principles also form the foundation for the protein structure prediction methods. The first, i.e., de novo or ab initio methods attempt to predict the structure of proteins from their sequence alone, not referring to the similarity at the level of folding between the modelled protein sequence and known structures. The second class of methods, which includes comparative modelling, is based on the similarity between the major part of the sequence of modelled protein and at least one known structure. We will research the nature of forces controlling the formation of a particular protein structure and certain aspects of the protein folding process, compare protein sequences, and protein structures, model proteins in many different ways, and research structural genomics and the possibilities for predicting the functions of proteins by predicting their structure.