Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/A02463/01
Title:	MOLECULAR INTERACTIONS AND THE ORIGINS OF MECHANICAL STRENGTH
Principal Investigator:	Williams, Professor PM
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department:	Sch of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Organisation:	University of Nottingham
Scheme:	Advanced Fellowship (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	01 October 2000	Ends:	30 September 2005	Value (£):	224,020
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Surfaces & Interfaces
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
In nature, communication is accomplished through the interaction of molecules and an understanding of this social behaviour is fundamental to the study of biology. Nature utilises free energy changes on ligand binding to do mechanical work, and uses the mechanical properties of ligand interactions to function. In this project, these systems will be investigated through the experimental analysis of binding and unbinding energy landscapes, and their interrelation to theoretical investigations of these systems. Force spectroscopy gives a unique insight into the energetics of molecular interactions and mechanical strength. Here, I propose to develop experimental methodologies supported by rigorous computational analysis of the molecular structural basis of mechanical strength. Themes to be investigated are: The experimental investigation of the mechanical properties of molecules, the investigation of energy landscapes of molecular systems through force spectroscopy, the development and application of computational and theoretical models to measure and predict binding and unbinding energy landscapes, the creation of computational approaches to understand and predict the mechanical properties of molecular systems, and to unify the experimental and computational approaches to reveal the structural basis of the mechanical and interaction properties of molecules.
Key Findings
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Potential use in non-academic contexts
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Impacts
Description This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk Summary Date Materialised
Sectors submitted by the Researcher
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Project URL:
Further Information:
Organisation Website:	http://www.nottingham.ac.uk