Determining the three-dimensional (3D) structure of a protein from its amino acid sequence is essential for understanding its biological function. Experimental methods remain the standard for obtaining high-resolution structures, but they can be costly, time-consuming, and technically challenging for certain proteins.

This course provides a practical introduction to computational approaches for predicting protein structures from amino acid sequences. The course focuses on AlphaFold, a method that has transformed protein structure prediction through its near-experimental prediction accuracy.

Participants will learn how to retrieve structural information from public databases, evaluate the quality of predicted models, and visualise protein structures using ChimeraX. The course also covers multimer predictions, prediction of ligand binding sites, and molecular docking approaches.

By the end of the course, participants should be able to generate protein structure predictions and critically assess the quality and limitations of the computational methods used.

Teaching is primarily hands-on, with short presentations and demonstrations introducing the concepts and methods needed to predict, analyse, and visualise protein structures.

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== Intended audience ==

This course is suitable for:

• researchers and students interested in protein structure analysis
• participants who want practical experience with computational protein structure prediction methods
• researchers seeking to use predicted protein structures to investigate biological function
• participants interested in visualisation and interpretation of protein structural data

== Course fees ==

All fees are per full training day.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Category
! Fee
|-
| Industry full charge
| £130.00
|-
| Academic / Government / charity concessionary
| £65.00
|-
| Cambridge University staff members / postdocs / visitors
| £65.00
|-
| Cambridge University registered students
| Free
|-
| Cambridge University registered students non-attendance
| £22.00
|-
| Special events
| Per event
|}

Payment options will be provided in booking confirmation emails sent after registration.

More details…

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