# Biophysics of Protein Disorder and Complexity, Single Molecules to Mesoscales

> **NIH NIH R35** · SCRIPPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE, THE · 2020 · $483,750

## Abstract

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) comprise a significant fraction of eukaryotic proteomes,
and are critical for cellular function and several diseases. They are also involved in the
formation and dynamics of membraneless organelles (MLOs) that are important for cellular
biochemistry. Several important open questions remain to be answered regarding the detailed
biophysics of IDPs and MLOs. Addressing these questions is the overall goal of the proposed
work. Building on our past and ongoing efforts in this area, we will carry out work in several
directions. Using peptide and protein systems that are linked to ALS and cancer, we will use
both single-molecule and ensemble experiments to probe important aspects of these systems,
including understanding the interplay of intra- and inter-molecular interactions, effects of
reentrant transitions and asymmetries in the phase diagrams, and aging in droplet systems. We
will also carry out experiments on understanding membrane-induced binding-folding and
aggregation of the Parkinson’s disease related protein α-synuclein. Single-molecule tools will
also be improved or further developed as needed during the project. These directions will also
lead to more complex experiments both in vitro and in cells at later stages of the work or in
future experiments. Overall, the proposed work is anticipated to lead to an improved
understanding of the biophysical mechanisms underlying the cell biology and disease relevance
of these important biological systems.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9839631
- **Project number:** 5R35GM130375-02
- **Recipient organization:** SCRIPPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE, THE
- **Principal Investigator:** Ashok A Deniz
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $483,750
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-01-01 → 2023-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9839631

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9839631, Biophysics of Protein Disorder and Complexity, Single Molecules to Mesoscales (5R35GM130375-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9839631. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*