Molecular “Transformers” Switching Form and Function – A Conversation with Dr. Lauren Porter

Posted by liaison on April 28th, 2023 Posted in: #CC/Academic List, #Health Interest List, #Health Sciences List, #Public/K-12 List, All Members

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What do proteins and Transformers have in common?  Yes we’re talking about the Optimus Prime and his fellow autonomous robotic life forms originating from the artificial planetoid Cybertron…

In this special episode of NNLM Discovery, we have partnered with the NIH Speaking of Science podcast to bring you the story of a special NLM researcher, Dr. Lauren Porter, a Stadtman investigator jointly appointed at the National Library of Medicine and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, who is helping redefine the way we understand how proteins behave.

She is looking at a new class of proteins that can change their structure and function much like the famous Transformer robots that morph into different machines. Understanding how these proteins switch their shape could help scientists understand the molecular basis of certain diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s.

Click here to watch a video about Dr. Lauren Porter’s work on the NLM YouTube Channel.

Click here to listen to the complete episode from the NIH Speaking of Science podcast about Dr. Lauren Porter.