Lovell lab

Sequence-structure relationships

Protein structure is determined by the linear sequence of amino acids. This amino acid chain rapidly folds up in the cell, giving rise to complex three-dimensional structures. For most proteins it is this three dimensional structure which determines how proteins function in the cell.
Unfortunately, we do not know the details of why proteins fold as they do, nor how the sequence determines the structure. I hope to gain insights into these relationships by analysis of protein structures, and the development of physics-based rules that can be used to predict protein structure.