Zimei Bu, PhD
卜子梅
Professor and Laboratory Director
Department of Chemistry
Marshak Science Building 1336
City College of New York
160 Convent Avenue
New York, NY 10031

zbu at ccny dot cuny dot edu

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We use X-ray and neutron scattering
to probe protein structure and dynamics
in novel ways.

We do what no one else can.

Nanoscale protein dynamics: A new frontier for neutron spin echo spectroscopy


Neutron spin echo spectroscopy (NSE) is the only experimental technique that can determine protein motion on nano length and time scales. Such motions have long been hypothesized to be the most significant modes for protein function. We have developed a theoretical framework that allows one to interpret the NSE data. Our theoretical framework uses simple concepts from nonequilibrium statistical mechanics, and does not require elaborate molecular dynamics simulations, complex fits to rotational motion, or elastic network models. In combination with our experimental methodology of selective deuterium labeling, our work clears significant hurdles to the understanding of this very important problem.

Read all about it HERE!


 cover   article
An easy introduction to
neutron spin echo spectroscopy
and protein dynamics
HERE
A recent publication HERE! and HERE! and HERE! and HERE! and HERE!

  
Proteins MOVE! Protein dynamics and long-range allostery in cell signaling.

Bu Z, Callaway DJE. Adv Protein Chem Struct Biol. 2011;83:163-221.
PMID: 21570668
DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-381262-9.00005-7

Another recent publication HERE! and HERE! and HERE! and HERE!
Activation of nanoscale allosteric protein domain motion revealed by neutron spin echo spectroscopy.




Farago B, Li J, Cornilescu G, Callaway D.J.E., Bu Z.
Biophys J. 2010 Nov 17;99(10):3473-82.
DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2010.09.058

Another recent publication HERE! and HERE! and HERE! and HERE!
Nanoscale protein dynamics: A new frontier for neutron spin echo spectroscopy,


Callaway, DJ, Farago, B, Bu, Z.
The European Physical Journal E-Soft Matter & Biological Physics
Eur. Phys. J. E (2013) 36: 76
DOI: 10.1140/epje/i2013-13076-1

Another recent publication HERE! and HERE! and HERE! and HERE!
Coupled protein domain motion in Taq polymerase revealed by neutron spin-echo spectroscopy.

Bu Z, Biehl R, Monkenbusch M, Richter D, D.J.E. Callaway
Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2005 Dec 6;102(49):17646-17651.
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0503388102

Another recent publication HERE! and HERE! and HERE! and HERE! and HERE!
Controllable activation of nanoscale dynamics in a disordered protein alters binding kinetics.

David J E Callaway, Tsutomu Matsui, Thomas Weiss, Laura R Stingaciu, Christopher B Stanley, William T Heller, Zimei Bu.
Journal of Molecular Biology 429 (2017) pp. 987-998
DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2017.03.003


Another recent publication HERE! and HERE! and HERE! and HERE! and HERE! and HERE! and HERE! and HERE!
Alpha-catenin structure and nanoscale dynamics in solution and in complex with F-actin

Iain D Nicholl, Tsutomu Matsui, Thomas M Weiss, Christopher B Stanley, William T Heller, Anne Martel, Bela Farago, David J E Callaway, Zimei Bu
Biophys. J. 115(4), 642-654, August 21, 2018
DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2018.07.005


Another recent publication HERE! and HERE! and HERE! and HERE! and HERE!
An ensemble of flexible conformations underlies mechanotransduction by the cadherin-catenin adhesion complex

Proc Natl Acad Sci USA October 22, 2019 116 (43) 21545-21555
Bush M, Alhanshali BM, Qian S, Stanley C, Heller W, Matsui T, Weiss T, Nicholl ID, Walz T, Callaway DJE, Bu Z.
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1911489116

Another recent publication HERE! and HERE! and HERE! and HERE! and HERE! and HERE! and HERE! and HERE! and HERE! and HERE! and HERE! and HERE! and HERE!



Activated nanoscale actin-binding domain motion in the catenin-cadherin complex revealed by neutron spin echo spectroscopy
Proc Natl Acad Sci USA
March 30, 2021 118 (13) e2025012118
Farago B, Nicholl ID, Wang S, Cheng X, Callaway DJE, Bu Z
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2025012118

New horizons: unanticipated ultrafast dynamics in cytoskeletal signaling


The highly dynamic nature of protein complexes
and the motorman model

Callaway DJ, Nicholl ID, Shi B, Reyes G, Farago B, Bu Nanoscale dynamics of the cadherin-catenin complex bound to vinculin revealed by neutron spin echo spectroscopy Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America volume = 129 issue = 39 date =2024 pmid =39298480 doi = 10.1073/pnas.2408459121 url = https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2408459121

Available HERE! and HERE! and HERE!

Research
Publications
Available positions
Collaborators
Additional references
Gallery
Nanomedicine
Nanorobotics

Copies of publications are available on
Research Gate and Google Scholar and PubMed.

Why neutrons?

Biophysical Society poster 2019

ACA poster 2018

CUNY Biophysics poster 2019

ACNS lecture 2020

Apply HERE for jobs


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