Sample interview questions: Can you discuss any experience you have in studying the effects of mechanical forces on protein-ligand interactions?
Sample answer:
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Experience in Single-Molecule Force Spectroscopy:
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Conducted experiments using atomic force microscopy (AFM) to measure the mechanical forces required to disrupt protein-ligand interactions.
- Investigated the relationship between the strength of the interaction and the structure of the protein-ligand complex.
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Analyzed the data using statistical methods to determine the dissociation constant and other thermodynamic parameters.
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Expertise in Molecular Dynamics Simulations:
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Performed molecular dynamics simulations to study the effects of mechanical forces on protein-ligand interactions at the atomic level.
- Calculated the potential of mean force (PMF) to determine the energy landscape of the interaction.
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Analyzed the trajectories to identify the key conformational changes that occur during the interaction.
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Experience in Protein Engineering:
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Designed and engineered proteins with altered mechanical properties.
- Introduced mutations or chemical modifications to modulate the strength of protein-ligand interactions.
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Evaluated the effects of these modifications using biochemical and biophysi… Read full answer