Research Group Reif
Our group is interested in the structural characterization of biomolecules using MAS solid-state and solution-state NMR spectroscopy. We focus on membrane proteins and amyloidogenic peptides and proteins. These systems are difficult to access by X-ray crystallography or standard solution-state NMR methods.
The research interests can be divided into four areas:
1) We would like to get more insight into the mechanism that lead to protein aggregation at atomic resolution.
2) We study membrane proteins to understand which conformational changes in a membrane protein are required to actively transport a small organic molecule through a phospholipid bilayer.
3) We investigate large protein complexes that are not amenable by solution-state NMR.
4) We work furthermore on the development of methods in solid-state NMR that allow structure and dynamics. These four major reasearch areas are described in more detail below.
The group is integrated into the Bavarian NMR Center, and associated with the Institute of Structural Biology at the Helmholtz-Zentrum München.