Department of Structural Biology 

Amnon Horovitz, Head


Structural biology is an increasingly important and exciting area. At the Weizmann Institute, much of the research in this area is carried out in the Faculty of Chemistry. Current research projects involve utilization of the main methodologies available for biological structural studies, such as X-ray crystallography, NMR, electron microscopy, molecular biology and various other spectroscopic techniques. Modern and sophisticated instrumentational facilities are available, most of which are state-of-the-art. Studies are being performed to determine molecular structures and structure-function relationships in biological macromolecules, such as proteins, DNA chains and their complexes. Efforts are directed towards the design of potential drugs. Whole intracellular assemblies and organelles, such as the ribosomes, which contain tens of macromolecules, are being investigated. The powerful techniques of site-directed mutagenesis and thermodynamics are being used to characterize, in detail, the interactions that stabilize proteins and determine their activity. Antigen-antibody complexes and other protein-protein interactions such as that of interferon with its receptor are being studied by multi-dimensional NMR methods. Biomineralization, i.e. controlled mineral deposition by organisms to form skeletal tissues, is being investigated from the molecular interactions between proteins and crystals to the ultrastructure and properties of the tissue.


L. Addadi

Mechanisms of crystal nucleation and modulation of crystal growth and properties in biomineralization (bone, mollusk shells, echinoderms).
L. Addadi, S. Weiner

Antibodies that recognize crystal surfaces and 2-dimensional organized patterns.

Mechanism of cell adhesion using crystal substrates.
L. Addadi, B. Geiger


J. Anglister 

The structure of the V3 loop ohf HIV-1 enevelope protein gp120
J. Anglister, S. Zolla-Pazner

NMR structure of alpha Interferon complex with its receptor
J. Anglister, G. Schreiber

NMR structure of the alpha subunit of the acetylcholine receptor
J. Anglister, ZZ. Wang

The structure of the transmembrane glycoprotein of HIV-1 gp41.
J. Anglister, Y. Shai


D. Fass 

Structures of retrovirus envelope proteins and mechanisms of retrovirus entry into cells.

Structure and function of proteins that modulate intracellular membrane dynamics.

Origins of disulfide bonds for oxidative protein folding.


A. Horovitz 

Chaperonin-mediated protein folding.

LFER analysis of allosteric transitions in proteins.

Allostery in the structure and function of GroEL and CCT chaperonins.


I. Rousso 

The assembly and budding of virions.

  1.  The kinetics and localization of viral budding.

  2.  The surface localization and mobility of the envelope glycoprotein.

  3.  The mechanical properties of the virus particle.

Hearing micromechanics - The voltage induced motion of the mammalian tectorial membrane.

  1.  The effect of pH on the tectorial membrane motion.

  2.  The correlation between the tectorial membrane ultrastructure and its motion and function .

  3.  The physiological role of the tectorial membrane.


M. Safro

Crystal structure of cytoskeletal proteins: vinculin, E-cadherin.
M. Safro, B. Geiger

Human phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase: cloning, expression, 3-D-structure, drug-design.

X-ray analysis of phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase from Th. Thermophilus and its complexes with functional ligands: tRNA, PheAMP, etc.


I. Sagi

Structural -Dynamic studies of Metalloenzymes and Protein-Nucleic Acid Interactions.

Our research covers a wide range of areas with the common themes of dynamic structure-function investigations. The principle areas of investigation are mechanism of action of metalloenzymes and protein-nucleic acid interactions. Our objective is to study


Z. Shakked

Crystal structure and solution studies of DNA oligomers.
Z. Shakked, Donald Crothers (Yale University)

  1.  DNA regulatory elements

  2.  DNA bending by adenine-thymine tracts

Structural and biochemical studies of proteins involved in transcriptional regulation.

  1.  The tumor-suppressor protein p53 and its interaction with DNA and the basal transcription machinery

  2.  The leukemia-related RUNX1(AML1) transcription regulator


J. Sussman 

X-ray structural analysis and molecular biology studies on proteins from the nervous system, including acetylcholinesterase (AChE), human, torpedo, drosophila, and krait; butyrylcholinesterase; neural cell adhesion proteins with sequence similarity to ACh

Structure based drug design studies on AChE and beta-secretase, including studies of complexes with transition state analogs; potential drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease; and snake neurotoxins.

3D structural studies of halotolerant proteins from unicellular alga Dunaliella.

Application of ultra rapid X-ray diffraction methods to study the enzymatic mechanism of AChE in real time.

3-D structure analysis and prediction of protein structures; and design and construction of a large object oriented relational data base for 3D structures of biological macromolecules found in the protein data bank.


S. Weiner

Archaeological science: minerals and molecules in the sediments of the archaeological record.

Structure - mechanical function relations in mineralized tissues (bone and teeth).
S. Weiner, H.D. Wagner

Biomineralization: mechanisms of mineral formation and growth in biology.
S. Weiner, L. Sddadi


A. Yonath

Ribosomes: structure analysis by X-ray crystallography.

Antibiotics of protein biosynthesis.

Molecular Genetics and biochemistry of ribosomal RNA and proteins.