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Pomès Labaratory

Brief Biography

• BSc, Ecole Supérieure de Chimie Industrielle de Lyon, France (1989)
• PhD, University of Houston (1993)
• Post-doctoral fellow, Université de Montréal, (1993-96)
• Post-doctoral fellow, Los Alamos National Laboratory (1997-99)

Mailing Address

Structural Biology and Biochemistry
The Hospital for Sick Children
555 University Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
Canada
M5G 1X8

Research Interests

• Biomolecular structure, function, and dynamics
• Structure-based drug design
• Ion transport

Research Activities

Understanding the basic physical principles that govern the fold and function of proteins is paramount to predict and rationalize the biological activity of newly discovered proteins. To this end, we use computer simulations to study biological systems at the molecular level.

Currently the laboratory is engaged in three main directions of research.

• We are studying the dynamic events involved in the folding and proper function of soluble proteins.
• We are developing novel computational methods for the prediction of protein-ligand binding affinities to help in the discovery of new therapeutic agents (rational drug design).
• We are studying the molecular mechanism of proton transport across biological membranes, a process which is essential to life itself (respiration, metabolism).
  

External Funding

• Canadian Institutes of Health Research
• National Institutes of Health
• Canadian Foundation for Innovation

Publications

Chakrabarti N, Tajkhorshid E, Roux B, Pomès R. Molecular Basis of Proton Blockage in Aquaporins. Structure 12:65-74 (2004).

Yu CH, Pomès R. Functional Dynamics of Ion Channels: Modulation of Proton Movement by Conformational Switches. J. Amer. Chem. Soc. 125:13890-13894, (2003).

Pomès R, Roux B. Molecular Mechanism of H+ Conduction in the Single-File Water Chain of the Gramicidin Channel. Biophys. J. 82:2304-2316 (2002).