Prof. Gideon Schreiber

Specific protein-protein interactions form a major part of the basic organization of living cells. The structure of a protein complex holds information about the relative mutual organization of two proteins in a frozen state, but not about the kinetic or thermodynamic parameters that are central to their function. For many years I have been interested in understanding the relationships between the structures of transient protein-protein interactions and their binding activity. To address this, I adopted a multidisciplinary approach including: wet biophysical bench work, protein-design and engineering, bioinformatics, and algorithm development and applied the gained knowledge and techniques to address biological questions. As part of this I-CORE I am investigating structure/function aspects of type I interferon-receptor interactions and how these are related to signaling. Through a comprehensive analysis of the structure, energetics and dynamics of IFN recognition by its receptor subunits, and of how these translate into gene induction and activation, we have started to decipher the molecular and structural basis dictating differential signaling initiated by type I interferons, as well as the mechanisms leading from receptor binding to these differential activations. In addition to this, I am also heading the Dana and Yossie Hollander Structural Proteomic Unit at the Weizmann Institute of Science, which is part of this I-CORE.

Specific protein-protein interactions form a major part of the basic organization of living cells. The structure of a protein complex holds information about the relative mutual organization of two proteins in a frozen state, but not about the kinetic or thermodynamic parameters that are central to their function. For many years I have been interested in understanding the relationships between the structures of transient protein-protein interactions and their binding activity. To address this, I adopted a multidisciplinary approach including: wet biophysical bench work, protein-design and engineering, bioinformatics, and algorithm development and applied the gained knowledge and techniques to address biological questions. As part of this I-CORE I am investigating structure/function aspects of type I interferon-receptor interactions and how these are related to signaling. Through a comprehensive analysis of the structure, energetics and dynamics of IFN recognition by its receptor subunits, and of how these translate into gene induction and activation, we have started to decipher the molecular and structural basis dictating differential signaling initiated by type I interferons, as well as the mechanisms leading from receptor binding to these differential activations. In addition to this, I am also heading the Dana and Yossie Hollander Structural Proteomic Unit at the Weizmann Institute of Science, which is part of this I-CORE.

Names of PhD and Post-Doctoral students in the lab, that are funded by the center:

  1. Doron Levin
  2. Amir Apelbaum
  3. Victoria Urin