My former advisor, Dr. Tom Baldwin, used to say in regards to proteins, “You don’t get much biological activity from a rock.” Proteins are exquisitely dynamic in nature, and the movements are intimately linked to enzymatic activity; binding of ligands, other proteins or nucleic acids; or regulation through allostery. A completely rigid protein is likely to have very little, if any, function.

The Protein Journal Club at NC State University is a graduate seminar course designed to teach graduate students about protein structure and function through literature reviews and presentations. The students are taught to put together a story on the topic of current discussion and to educate both faculty and fellow graduate students in a 50-minute seminar.

As a way to reach undergraduate students, alumni, other scientists, and folks generally interested in science, the graduate students also blog about the topic.

- Clay Clark (@biochemprof)