BIOL 6312
HOMEWORK
due 7 March 2005

See the list of papers chosen.

1. Identify a protein whose structure has been determined in the past year or so. Go to the library or online and scan issues of Science, Nature. Protein Science, Proteins, or Journal of Molecular Biology from 2003. For journals online, you can use the links on my webpage. Find a protein whose structure is described in a full length article, not a note (2-3 pages).

2. Written report: Summarize the secondary structure and tertiary organization (the fold) of the protein. Confine your description to one page. Include estimates of the number of elements of alpha helix, beta sheet, etc. Also identify motifs that are present, and the overall organization. Treat each domain separately, if there are more than one. Identify the location of the active site, if there is one. Provide a reference to the paper.

3. Oral presentation: In class on Monday March 7 each student will give a 5 minute report to the class summarizing the structure of his or her protein. You may use Powerpoint or transparencies. See me if you have any questions.