Have you ever wondered what a protein looks like? Do you know that the human body is made up of 25,000 proteins? Do you know that proteins fold to a specific shape and when you have a fever they begin to unfold? Have you ever thought you could hold a protein in the palm of your hand? If you attended the first Science Café of the My Genes/My Health series, you know what a protein looks like, you held one in the palm of your hand and you know the answers to these questions and others.
Dr. Tim Herman speaks with a community member.
On the evening of Tuesday, August 7th a group community members and scientists gathered in the Center for BioMolecular Modeling (CBM) at the Milwaukee School of Engineering to engage in a discussion entitled Modeling the Molecular World: To hold a protein in the palm of your hand. The discussion, led by Tim Herman, PhD, Director of the CBM, was fun and interactive and provided attendees with the opportunity to hold and examine 3D protein models and to work with each other to create a protein model. The group learned that proteins are made up of specific combinations of the 20 amino acids, every protein folds into a distinct shape based on the order of the amino acids and the shape determines its function. In addition to all the information presented and discussed about proteins and other molecules, Dr. Herman explained the composition of a molecular landscape painting by David Goodsell displayed in the CBM. Attendees were given DNA model necklaces to take home too!
Join us on September 11th for the next Science Café when Elizabeth Worthey, PhD will lead a the discussion on Your DNA Sequence: What does it all mean?Learn more.
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