PhD defence: Structural properities of proteins and nucleic acids probed at atomic resolution in situ by solid-state NMR

Proteins and nucleic acids form the molecular machines that make our bodies tick. While experimental data obtained in test tubes has long suggested that proteins and nucleic acids are highly dynamic and flexible, corroborating evidence obtained directly from inside cells has been lacking.

We developed an approach that allows, for the first time, to study the motions of proteins and nucleic acids directly within cells at atomic resolution. Through exploitation of the methodology, we report the first glimpses into the dynamic personalities of several highly important biomolecular species, thereby opening the door to understanding the functional implications of their structural modulations in a broader cellular context, with potentially significant pharmacological/medical implications.