Welcome to the webpage of HCK Biophysical lab!!

Proteins and enzymes are large complex chains of amino acids that act as work horses in a biological cell and perform many cellular activities. We are a group of interdisciplinary researchers interested in understanding the Physico-chemical and mechanical properties of proteins/enzymes. To this extent, we use single-molecule force spectroscopy tools to complement traditional biochemical/biophysical methods. In broader terms, our research falls under the umbrella of Biophysical Chemistry/ Molecular Biophysics/ Single-molecule Biophysics. The current general research interests of the lab and research tools employed are described below. For specific research problems, visit the research section of this website.

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Research Interests:

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• Mechano-Biochemistry of ATP-dependent molecular motors involved in protein remodeling (degradation/ disaggregation)

• Enzymatic unfolding and translocation kinetics of proteins

• Single-molecule enzymology

• Motor properties such as stepping kinetics, dynamics, and stalling forces of protein processing enzymes

• Protein folding/ unfolding pathways and kinetics

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Research Tools/Methods:

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• Optical Tweezers for single-molecule enzymology

• Single-Molecule AFM for mechanical folding/unfolding studies

• Absorbance and Fluorescence-based enzymatic assays

• Protein Engineering

• Recombinant DNA cloning and other molecular biology methods

• Common biochemical and biophysical tools

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