Understanding the Structure of Amelogenin and its Role in Enamel Formation

Abstract:
Nucleation and growth of hydroxyapatite (HAP) from amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) is a process that occurs in the early stages of tooth enamel formation. Amelogenin is one of the proteins that plays a crucial role in the HAP formation. Variations in the amelogenin protein have been found to result in development of enamel diseases, i.e Amelogenesis imperfecta (AI). With a range of experimental and computational techniques we are exploring the molecular level details of the early stages of this biomineralization process, specifically focusing on structural characterization and aggregation of amelogenin and its interaction with HAP.

Bio:
Bojana Ginovska is a Research Scientist and Team Lead for Physical Biosciences at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, WA. Her field of expertise is in Computational Chemistry and Material Science, with focus on studies of enzymes, biomimetic catalysis, biomineralization and hydrogen storage. She has over 15 years of experience in working on multidisciplinary projects in the Basic Energy Science portfolio of the Department of Energy and for the National Institute of Health.  She holds a graduate degree from Washington State University in Computer Science.