Enhancement of Muramyl Dipeptide-Dependent NOD2 Activity by a Self-Derived Peptide.

Nucleotide-binding and oligomerization domain like receptors (NLR) are pattern recognition receptors used to provide rapid immune response by detecting intracellular pathogen-associated molecules. Loss of NLR activity is implicated in genetic disorders, disruption of adaptive immunity, and chronic inflammation. One NLR protein, NOD2, is frequently mutated in Crohn's disease (CD), which is an inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract.

Epitope-Specific Binder Design by Yeast Surface Display.

Yeast surface display is commonly used to engineer affinity and design novel molecular interaction. By alternating positive and negative selections, yeast display can be used to engineer binders that specifically interact with the target protein at a defined site. Epitope-specific binders can be useful as inhibitors if they bind the target molecule at functionally important sites.

Epitope-guided engineering of monobody binders for in vivo inhibition of Erk-2 signaling.

Although the affinity optimization of protein binders is straightforward, engineering epitope specificity is more challenging. Targeting a specific surface patch is important because the biological relevance of protein binders depends on how they interact with the target. They are particularly useful to test hypotheses motivated by biochemical and structural studies.

Silk fibroin/gelatin multilayered films as a model system for controlled drug release.

Multilayer films based on silk fibroin protein and gelatin was fabricated in aqueous solution for controlled drug release. The gradual build up of layer was investigated by UV-vis spectroscopy and was further analyzed through attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed the presence of distinct layers within the multilayer system.