Bioinformatics Education Dissemination: Reaching Out, Connecting and Knitting-together

Introduction to the TRP Cage Problem Space


A unique tool to enable students to discuss and research problems posed in the context of protein structure and function, using Trpcage, a 20 residue polypeptide that is one of the smallest model proteins synthesized to date:


What defines a protein?

Discussion in terms of stable folding.

Protein Sequence --> Structure

What is the role of secondary and tertiary structure?

A discussion of thermodynamic stability and entropy-driven folding due to the hydrophobic effect.

Why is the Trpcage motif so effective in inducing folding?

Specific residues which are important.

Molecular Biology, Genomics/Proteomics, Pharmacology:
