Protein large-scale motions revealed by quantum beams: A new era in understanding protein dynamics

Biological systems function by constantly changing their hierarchical or inter-hierarchical interactions among molecules, cells, and individuals. To visualize these dynamics, it is effective to approach them using penetrating quantum beams such as X-rays and neutron beams. Furthermore, the interpretation of the experimental results can be deepened by theoretical and computational techniques such as molecular dynamics simulations, which also complement phenomena hard to trace by experiments. For these issues, we have a symposium at the 60th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society of Japan held in September 2022 inviting 7 speakers, which is organized by Sekiguchi and Yamamoto. At the symposium, we will review recent advances in quantum beam techniques for biophysical research, mainly focusing on protein large conformational changes using X-ray (Sekiguchi, Yamamoto), neutron scattering (Matsuo), or a combination of both techniques (Inoue). We will also show theoretical studies that interpret or support experimental results (Kurisaki, Zhao) and a combination of experimental and theoretical studies (Hishikawa).