Van der Waals colloquium by prof. Don C. Lamb from LMU Munich (Germany) on "From Dancing Proteins to Maturing Viruses: Using Fluorescence to Illuminate the World Around Us". In Don’s lab, the dynamics and functions of biomolecules are investigated using fluorescence and single molecule methods, which are also applied to biological systems.

Abstract: Fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy offers very sensitive, non-contact approaches to investigate biological systems. I will start by introducing 2-color and 3-color single-molecule FRET experiments (Barth et al. 2019) and explain the insights we have obtained on the folding of a two-domain protein, the Maltose Binding Protein. The two domains are discontinuous. By using 3c FRET, we could follow the order of domain folding and could show that the C-terminal domain can only fold after the N-terminal domain.

Next, I will present the DEEP-Learning Assisted Single molecule Image analysis (DEEP-LASI) approach we developed for performing an automated trace characterization and kinetic analysis of single-molecule FRET traces. This approach allows the analysis of single-molecule total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy experiments in minutes rather than days.

Finally, I discuss work we have performed in monitoring steps along the life cycle of HIV. By combining single-particle tracking (SPT) with Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy (FLIM), we recently have developed an approach that allows us to observe the maturation of individual HIV particles (Chen et al. 2021).

The Joan van der Waals colloquium is an ongoing bi-weekly lecture series, organized by LION. As all speakers are instructed to give an accessible lecture for everyone, these lectures aid in getting a broader view of physics. Each colloquium is preceded by an opening act: a PhD student or postdoc from LION and a different field than the invited speaker, to give a 10-min presentation. After the colloquium, there is a chance to meet your colleagues and participate in discussions at the borrel. More information can be found here.