Principal Investigator Mei Hong
Amyloids are highly aggregated Beta-sheet structures formed by a large number of peptides and proteins. They are involved in many neurodegenerative disorders but are also used by organisms for a variety of biological functions. We are investigating the structures and assemblies of several amyloids involved in Alzheimer’s disease, formed from peptide hormones, and designed for catalysis. Structural studies focus on addressing how amino acid sequences dictate the three-dimensional fold, the origin of molecular structural polymorphism, how water impacts fibril formation, and how metal ions stabilize amyloid fibrils.