DTU BIO3 exam questions

Favourable and Unfavourable Interactions in Protein Folding

• Favourable Interactions: Hydrophobic effect, hydrogen bonding, van der Waals forces.

• Unfavourable Interactions: Chain conformational entropy

What are Intrinsically Disordered Proteins?

Proteins that lack a fixed or ordered three-dimensional structure

 

Involved in cell signaling, transcription, and chromatin remodeling

What are examples of Protein Misfolding/Aggregation Diseases?

Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, cystic fibrosis

What is Allostery?

Regulation of a protein's activity through binding at a site other than the active site, causing a conformational change

What is the difference between enzymes and Non-Biological Catalysts?

 

• Enzymes: Highly specific, operate under mild conditions, biodegradable

 

• Non-Biological Catalysts: Less specific, can operate under extreme conditions, not biodegradable

What is Directed Evolution?

Mimicking natural selection in the lab to improve enzyme functions

What are antibodies?

Proteins that bind to antigens to neutralize pathogens

 

• Applications: Diagnostics, passive immunity, autoimmune disease treatment

What is the advantage of nanobodies compared to classical antibodies?

Smaller, better tissue penetration, easier production. Stability under extreme conditions, high antigen-binding affinity

What is Protein Display Technologies (Phage Display)?

• Expressing peptide or protein sequences on bacteriophages to identify ligands

What is the concept of proteomics?

• Large-scale study of proteins, their structures, interactions, and functions, used for mass spectrometry

What are the advantages and disadvantages of chemical synthesis and recombinant production of proteins?

 

• Advantages: Chemical synthesis allows precise control over protein modifications; recombinant production is cost-effective for large quantities.

• Disadvantages: Chemical synthesis can be expensive and complex; recombinant production may have issues with protein folding and post-translational modifications.

What is self-assembly in biology?

• Process where molecules spontaneously form organized structures, for example formation of lipid bilayers and protein complexes.

What are examples of food protein sources?

• Plant-based proteins (e.g., soy, pea), insect proteins, lab-grown meat.