Semester:Week 4 This week's chemistry seminar was on the topic of Investigating the Structure and Function of Proteases. The seminar was presented by Dr. Peter Lyons. Dr. Peter Lyons is an associate professor in the Department of Biology here at Andrews University. Through years of study and hard work he along with a battery of undergraduate students and other faculty have uncovered a wealth of information about the function of proteases which aid in the conversion of food to fuels our bodies can use. Dr. Lyons was engaging throughout his entire presentation. He had an enormous amount of information regarding the structure and function of the proteases from their primary and secondary structures, to their methods of action but his talk remained structured, paced and very informative. Proteases are a class of enzymes that function by hydrolyzing peptide bonds of proteins. They are found in a diverse range of organisms, from plants, to animals, to bacteria, and even viruses. The functions of proteases are as diverse as the range of organisms that they can be found in. Acid proteases, which are found in the stomach help animals digest our food. Proteases that are found in the blood function in a mechanism known as blood clotting (a mechanism that is crucial to our survival). Some proteases influence our metabolism. What Dr. Lyons seeks to do is understand the intricacies of these remarkable enzymes, which play such a crucial role in our lives each day. In conclusion, by understanding proteases, their structure and mechanism of action, we will better understand the intricacies of biochemistry due to the diverse range of function that these enzymes carry out.
