Double trouble: Structural basis of Guanylate Binding Proteins targeting pathogen membranes

New Ways to Look through Nanopores

In this thesis, we have introduced palladium zero-mode waveguides (Pd ZMWs) as a valuable tool for biophysics research and have showcased several applications thereof. We started by using them as single-molecule sensors for free translocations of fluorophores, proteins, and voltage-driven translocations of DNA. By studying salt-gradient driven...

A Pipeline for Segmentation and Structural Feature Extraction in Cryo-EM Single Particle Analysis of Gas Vesicles

Gas vesicles, micrometer-scale protein structures that function as bacterial buoyancy providers, encapsulate gas in a highly optimized manner. While their atomic structure has been elucidated through single-particle analysis of cryo-EM images, certain structural and functional details remain uncertain. Its biogenesis - the formation and growth...

Cryo-EM structure of gas vesicles for buoyancy-controlled motility

Gas vesicles are gas-filled nanocompartments that allow a diverse group of bacteria and archaea to control their buoyancy. The molecular basis of their properties and assembly remains unclear. Here, we report the 3.2 Å cryo-EM structure of the gas vesicle shell made from the structural protein GvpA that self-assembles into hollow helical...

Aquaporin-2 trafficking: Studying cellular mechanisms with subcellular aspiration and cryo-electron microscopy