Secrets of the Nanoworld

Proteins are the molecular makers in our body. They perform all vital tasks to maintain life as we know it: cell growth & division, genome replication & repair, energy harvesting & conversion, self-defence & attack, environmental sensing & reaction to it, etc. etc. To do this all, proteins undergo all kinds of dynamic rearrangements which are crucial for their function. However, still most visualisations of proteins are rock-solid static structures. Here, I’ll show you the tricks my lab plays to watch SINGLE protein molecules and how they move to complete their biological tasks at the nanoscale, to keep us alive at the macroscale.

A catalyst is a molecule that is capable of accelerating a chemical reaction from: A + B –> C As a result, the energy required to carry out such a reaction is significantly reduced. A large portion of all (bio)chemical reactions carried out in industry and in Nature are performed in the presence of a catalyst. In the past twenty years, five Nobel prizes in chemistry have been awarded for contributions in the field of catalysis.
This talk will present important applications of catalysts and highlight the impact of catalysis on society and its future development.

The nanoworld captivates scientists across fields and is beginning to herald groundbreaking applications in advanced technologies, such as quantum computing and contemporary pharmaceuticals. Conducting research at the nano-scale often entails working with individual particles. In the field of physics this involves the study of single photons which may serve as foundational elements in the development of a quantum computer. In biology, the focus shifts to imaging of single cells or proteins and their structures, a critical endeavor for advancing drug development. This presentation will guide you through these exciting applications of single particles, highlighting their transformative impact across disciplines.