Abstract
Proteins, their structure and function remain a significant scientific topic at the start of the 21st century. In the past, protein chemistry was successfully addressed with methodologies such as X-ray crystallography to explain structural features at the atomic level. However, with the increasing number of tools in nanoscience, also enabling an analysis of larger properties of proteins, new insights on protein structure and function are developing. Here, we discuss the use of small-angle X-ray scattering, atomic force microscopy, and surface plasmon resonance assays to unravel functional significant events in protein structure at the nm-scale level. Both the ability of these techniques to handle structural information of molecules of several hundred nm as well as conducting experiments in liquid media of choice greatly increase their utility. In particular, the structural organization of large immune proteins offers useful examples of how changes in their ultrastructure permit activation of immune effector mechanisms and make the proteins fit the surface topography of microbial targets. Nanoscience and the associated methodologies provide an important toolbox for future explorations in this field.
| Original language | Danish |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | 21st Century Nanoscience – A Handbook : Bioinspired Systems and Methods (Volume seven) |
| Editors | Klaus Sattler |
| Place of publication | Boca Raton |
| Publisher | CRC Press |
| Publication date | May 2020 |
| Chapter | 14 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780815357032 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9780429351525 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - May 2020 |