Dartmouth Events

Molecular organization in biology: What can computer simulations teach us?

Bio: Jeetain Mittal is currently a Professor of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry at Texas A&M University (TAMU). Before joining TAMU in 2021, he was at Lehigh University, where he joined as an assistant professor of Chemical Engineering in 2009 after finishing a postdoctoral research fellowship at the Laboratory of Chemical Physics at the National Institutes of Health. He received his doctorate in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas, Austin, his master's degree in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, and his bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from Punjab Technical University. More information about his research group can be found at: https://jeetain.wixsite.com/mittal-lab.

Abstract: The formation of membraneless organelles (MLOs) via phase separation of proteins and nucleic acids has emerged as an essential process by which cells can maintain spatiotemporal control. Despite enormous progress in understanding the role of MLOs in biological function in the last ten years or so, the molecular details and the associated biophysical rules of the underlying phenomena are only beginning to emerge. My research group conducts computer simulations of proteins and nucleic acids using coarse-grained and all-atom models to complement experimental studies to achieve fundamental insights into the molecular driving forces underlying biomolecular phase separation. In this talk, I’ll highlight recent results demonstrating our approach’s usefulness for identifying general principles and system-specific insights into biomolecular structure and function.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://dartmouth.zoom.us/j/96492319907?pwd=b29iOENyRlRiRmd1WUx6V0ltdWFqZz09
ID: 945 9829 6201
Passcode: 683915