Preface
Proteins are central in life at the molecular level. They are catalysts, transporters, and
messengers. They provide or create much of the cellular architecture and go beyond the
cell to seek nutrients and neutralize antigens. They each function in large interaction networks with other proteins, small molecules, and the genome: dynamically binding, unbinding, competing for and changing partners, or forming functional multimolecular assemblies.
All these interactions are intricately regulated, and their dysregulation often results in
disease. One way of understanding the detail of the function and regulation of proteins is
to dissect and measure their interactions.
As in previous editions, this volume aims to provide an overview of common methods
for characterizing the interactions of proteins. This edition does not replace previous
editions, but seeks to supplement them with new methods and perspectives. Unlike the
previous editions, which were structured by types of method, this edition is organized by the
types of ligand with which proteins interact. We hope that this will make the book even more
useful to researchers new to these techniques of biophysical investigation by suggesting
approaches suited to particular biological problems from the great, and perhaps confusing,
range of possibilities.
Many of our authors lead research facilities in academic or pharmaceutical settings and
have considerable experience of making their instrumentation and expertise available to the
wider research community. Chapters provide clear instructions for the nonspecialist, for
graduate students, or researchers new to a given approach and cover all stages of the research
process, from the screening and discovery of interactions to the detailed quantitative
understanding of the mechanisms involved.
London, UK
Tina Daviter
Cambridge, UK
Christopher M. Johnson
Cambridge, UK
Stephen H. McLaughlin
London, UK
Mark A. Williams
v
Proteins are central in life at the molecular level. They are catalysts, transporters, and
messengers. They provide or create much of the cellular architecture and go beyond the
cell to seek nutrients and neutralize antigens. They each function in large interaction networks with other proteins, small molecules, and the genome: dynamically binding, unbinding, competing for and changing partners, or forming functional multimolecular assemblies.
All these interactions are intricately regulated, and their dysregulation often results in
disease. One way of understanding the detail of the function and regulation of proteins is
to dissect and measure their interactions.
As in previous editions, this volume aims to provide an overview of common methods
for characterizing the interactions of proteins. This edition does not replace previous
editions, but seeks to supplement them with new methods and perspectives. Unlike the
previous editions, which were structured by types of method, this edition is organized by the
types of ligand with which proteins interact. We hope that this will make the book even more
useful to researchers new to these techniques of biophysical investigation by suggesting
approaches suited to particular biological problems from the great, and perhaps confusing,
range of possibilities.
Many of our authors lead research facilities in academic or pharmaceutical settings and
have considerable experience of making their instrumentation and expertise available to the
wider research community. Chapters provide clear instructions for the nonspecialist, for
graduate students, or researchers new to a given approach and cover all stages of the research
process, from the screening and discovery of interactions to the detailed quantitative
understanding of the mechanisms involved.
London, UK
Tina Daviter
Cambridge, UK
Christopher M. Johnson
Cambridge, UK
Stephen H. McLaughlin
London, UK
Mark A. Williams
v