The protein structure prediction problem consists of three separate subproblems: modeling the protein structure, modeling the protein energetics, and high-dimensional optimization in the presence of many local minima. I will present a new approach to protein structure prediction based on innovative methods in all three sub problems. The initial implementation of this approach is producing promising results. I will also discuss several "spin off" ideas relevant to proteomics and bioinformatics. These include a new method for structural alignment which could lead to a useful web-tool, and new evidence for long-range sequence patterns. Finally, I will discuss the general principles of protein folding and propose a new view of the sequence-structure degeneracy.

Monday, April 30, 2001 at 4:00 in DH 1064
A reception will preceed the talk at 3:30 in DH 3076.

About George Hunter

Dr. Hunter earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan in 1980 and 1982, respectively, and his Ph.D. degree from the University of Illinois in 2001. From 1982 to 1998 he was involved in nonlinear systems research and development at Lockheed, TRW and Seagull Technology.

His final position was as Sr. Vice President of Seagull Technology before leaving to study biophysics and computational biology at the University of Illinois, where his research has been in the area of protein structure and folding in the laboratory of Shankar Subramaniam.

George Hunter is a faculty candidate.