In addition to its value in the study of molecular evolution, ancestral sequence reconstruction
(ASR) has emerged as a useful methodology for engineering proteins with enhanced …

The recent epidemic caused by aerosolized SARS-CoV-2 virus illustrates the importance
and vulnerability of the mucosal epithelial barrier against infection. Antimicrobial proteins …

A protein's sequence determines its conformational energy landscape. This, in turn,
determines the protein's function. Understanding the evolution of new protein functions …

Background: Chitosan nanoparticles (CSNP) are becoming a popular alternative for
delivering nucleic acids to tissues for gene transfer (gene therapy). The size and …

Cytokines are extracellular proteins that convey messages between cells by interacting with
cognate receptors at the cell surface and triggering signaling pathways that alter gene …

The molecular evolution of the adaptive response at the host–pathogen interface has been
frequently referred to as an'arms race'between the host and bacterial pathogens. The innate …

Stability constrains evolution. While much is known about constraints on destabilizing
mutations, less is known about the constraints on stabilizing mutations. We recently …

Calprotectin (CLP) belonging to the S-100 protein family is a heterodimeric complex
(S100A8/S100A9) formed by two binding proteins. Upon cell activation, CLP stored in …

Intrinsically disordered protein domains often have multiple binding partners. It is plausible
that the strength of pairing with specific partners evolves from an initial low affinity to a higher …

Ancestral sequence reconstruction (ASR) is a powerful tool to study the evolution of proteins
and thus gain deep insight into the relationships among protein sequence, structure, and …