Using Synthetic Molecules to Communicate with Proteins and Make Them Talk to Each Other

David Margulies, Organic Chemistry, Weizmann Institute, Rehovot, Israel

Our group's research is concerned with diverse aspects of bioorganic chemistry, with emphasis on designing synthetic receptors that interact with proteins and sense or regulate their function. In this talk I will give a brief overview of the novel classes of fluorescent molecular sensors that we developed over the last few years, and show how they can be used to detect individual proteins, protein combinations, as well as dynamic changes that occur on their surfaces. In the second part of this talk I will describe the first step toward establishing artificial signal transduction pathways. Specifically, I will discuss the design and operating principles of a synthetic ‘chemical transducer’ that can generate (in vitro) an artificial communication channel between two unrelated proteins.