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Profile
| Academic position | Associate Professor, Senior Lecturer, Reader |
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| Research fields | Biophysics,Molecular Biology and Physiology of Neurons and Glial Cells |
| Keywords | NMDA receptors, glutamate receptors, cryo-EM, cryo electron tomography |
Current contact address
| Country | Germany |
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| City | Berlin |
| Institution | Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin (MDC) |
| Institute | Molekulare Prozesse und Therapien |
Host during sponsorship
| Prof. Dr. Werner Kühlbrandt | Abteilung Strukturbiologie, Max-Planck-Institut für Biophysik, Frankfurt am Main |
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| Start of initial sponsorship | 01/11/2015 |
Programme(s)
| 2015 | Sofja Kovalevskaja Award Programme |
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Nominator's project description
| Key functions of the human brain depend on the ability of nerve cells to receive and transmit electrochemical signals. Most of these functions are related to specific electrically or chemically gated ion channels in the membranes surrounding the nerve cells. Ligand-gated glutamate receptors are some of the most medically important ion channels in the brain. Defects in glutamate receptor function result in serious neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s, depression or tinnitus. The design of specific drugs to cure such disorders depends on detailed knowledge of the three-dimensional macromolecular structure of the ion channels involved. To obtain this critical information, Dr. Kudryashev will apply electron cryo-microscopy, which has recently undergone a revolution in terms of resolution. Dr. Kudryashev has already determined the structure of a bacterial protein complex at near-atomic resolution by this advanced technology and will now use it to visualize functionally important conformational changes of glutamate receptors in the membrane. Dr. Kudryashev is hosted by Professor Werner Kühlbrandt at the Max Planck Institute of Biophysics in Frankfurt/Main. |