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Emad Tajkhorshid Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics Ph.D. 2001, University of Heidelberg Structure Function Relationship of Membrane proteins Emad Tajkhorshid 3009 Beckman, MC-251 405 N. Mathews Urbana, IL 61801 217-244-6914 emad@life.uiuc.edu

Membrane proteins are critical for the biology of all living organisms. They are responsible for exchange of materials and information across cellular membranes, and participate in a wide range of metabolic, regulatory, and sensory pathways. My research focuses on structure function relationship in membrane proteins and understanding the mechanism of their function using simulation and computational methodologies. Recent advances in structural determination of membrane proteins have resulted in high resolution structures of several membrane proteins that we can use in our simulations to understand how the architecture of the protein, and specific interactions and dynamics of its composing groups provide the basis of its mechanism of function. Examples of my research are

• Mechanism of permeation of water, ions, and other substrates through membrane channels
• Simulation of photoactivation in rhodopsin and other visual receptors
• Quantum mechanical calculations of the chromophore in bacteriorhodopsin