From Biophysical Properties to Biological Function

In my seminar I will present my ongoing work on developing an integrative experimental platform that combines quantitative information on (i) molecular, (ii) cellular, and (iii) biological function of a protein. For this purpose I define protein molecular function as a set of biophysical parameters (measured in vitro for an isolated system), cellular function as protein-protein interactions (measured almost in vivo, for a relevant subsystem), and finally biological function as a multidimensional phenotype comprised of functional genetic interactions (measured in vivo, considering the entire biological system). Biologists have been successfully analyzing all three types of data, but with little to no overlap and I would argue that some questions in systems biology can only be answered if we learn how to combine these three different levels of information.