10 April, 2024
This webinar is part of the Antibodies in Solution webinar series at LINXS.
Title: Using static light scattering to understand protein-protein and protein-solvent interactions
Speaker: Robin Curtis, University of Manchester, UK
Abstract: The topic of the lecture is on measuring and understanding the molecular basis of protein-protein and protein-solvent interactions by static light scattering. A brief introduction to the theory underpinning static light scattering is covered. Then we discuss how measurements made as a function of solution conditions, salt concentration and pH, can be used to separate out electrostatic interactions from other short-ranged attractive forces between proteins and to elucidate the basis for specific ion effects. Lesser known is that light scattering measurements can also be used for measuring protein-solvent interactions in terms of preferential interaction parameters. Results are presented for preferential interaction parameters in solutions with sodium chloride, arginine chloride, or chemical denaturants, urea or guanidinium chloride. We show for the first time how the preferential interaction parameter can be measured for the folded and the unfolded state at the same denaturant concentration and then compare protein-protein interactions for folded and unfolded proteins. The talk is concluded with a few examples relating dilute solution measurements of protein-protein interactions with concentrated solution properties such as phase behaviour and viscosity.