The American Peptide Society (APS) provides a forum for advancing and promoting knowledge of the chemistry and biology of peptides. The approximately one thousand members of the Society come from North America and from more than thirty other countries throughout the world. Establishment of the APS was a result of the rapid worldwide growth that has occurred in peptide-related research, and of the increasing interaction of peptide scientists with virtually all fields of science. Peptides for Youth: The Proceedings of the the 20th American Peptide Symposium will highlight many of the recent developments in peptide science, with a particular emphasis on how these advances are being applied to basic problems in biology and medicine. The 20th American Peptide Symposium will take place June 26 - 30, 2007 in Montreal, Canada.

Plant signalling has emerged as an integrated field which has become indispensable in recent times to study any biological process. Over the last decade, an enormous amount of information has been generated in this field and the advances in information technology gave birth to bioinformatics which has helped greatly in managing the galaxy of information. It is now possible to view the different information s in a systems biology approach which has unravelled the association/ new processes and thus helped us enormously in understanding of the biological processes. The present book is an attempt at understanding the plant signalling processes with different perspectives. Even though the plants are sessile but there exists a tremendous interconnected network of perception at morphological, physiological and molecular levels. The impact of the surrounding environment in terms of abiotic and biotic stresses is significant in terms of its survival, adaptation and productivity for the human welfare. The plants possess a wide array of processes at the organ, tissue and cellular levels which are governed by a plethora of molecules. The molecules govern individual processes and these exists a cross talk between them to form a complex network of processes. The book tries to envision how different processes are operating at different points in the life cycle of the plant."

John E. Kinsella, Dean ofthe College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of California-Davis, passed away on May 2, 1993, at the age of 55. In August 1995, fonner students and post-doctoral fellows of Dr. Kinsella met at the American Chemical Society National Meeting in Chicago to convene a Symposium on Food Proteins and Lipids to honor Dr. Kinsella's enonnous contribution to the field of food science and nutrition. This book is a collection of papers presented at that symposium. A native of Ireland, Dr. Kinsella received his bachelor's degree in agricultural sciences in 1961 from the University of Dublin. He received his master's degree in biology in 1965 and a doctorate in food chemistry in 1967 from Pennsylvania State University. He joined the Food Science faculty at Cornell University in 1967. While at Cornell, he served as Chair of the Department of Food Science from 1977-1985 and Director of the Institute of Food Science from 1980-1987. He was designated Liberty Hyde Bailey Professor of Food Biochemistry in 1981, a Fulbright Fellow in 1983, and was selected as the General Foods Distinguished Professor of Food Science in 1984. He was named a Leading Professor in the State University of New York, the highest professorial honor in the SUNY system. In 1990 he joined the University of California at Davis as Dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Dr.

This volume provides the reader with detailed protocols that describe a variety of in vitro and in vivo techniques that study reductionist systems and human samples. The methods covered in this book explore a broad selection of topics such as functional aspects of alpha-synuclein biology, its lipid-interactions and misfolding, and functional deficits in cells and mice. Chapters also cover topics such as kinetic measurements of endocytosis and exocytosis in cultured neurons; electrochemiluminescence-based detection; yeast-based screens to target alpha-synuclein toxicity; mass-spectrometry of alpha-synuclein in rat cortical neurons; and expression and purification of untagged a-synuclein. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Cutting-edge and thorough, Alpha-Synuclein: Methods and Protocols is a valuable reference guide that aids researchers working on topics related to alpha-synuclein and its various aspects.

Next Generation Sequencing: Chemistry, Technology and Applications, by P. Hui Application of Next Generation Sequencing to Molecular Diagnosis of Inherited Diseases, by W. Zhang, H. Cui, L.-J.C. Wong Clinical Applications of the Latest Molecular Diagnostics in Noninvasive Prenatal Diagnosis, by K.C.A. Chan The Role of Protein Structural Analysis in the Next Generation Sequencing Era, by W.W. Yue, D.S. Froese, P.E. Brennan Emerging Applications of Single-Cell Diagnostics, by M. Shirai, T. Taniguchi, H. Kambara Mass Spectrometry in High-Throughput Clinical Biomarker Assays: Multiple Reaction Monitoring, by C.E. Parker, D. Domanski, A.J. Percy, A.G. Chambers, A.G. Camenzind, D.S. Smith, C.H. Borchers Advances in MALDI Mass Spectrometry in Clinical Diagnostic Applications, by E.W.Y. Ng, M.Y.M. Wong, T.C.W. Poon Application of Mass Spectrometry in Newborn Screening: About Both Small Molecular Diseases and Lysosomal Storage Diseases, by W.-L. Hwu, Y.-H. Chien, N.-C. Lee, S.-F. Wang, S.-C. Chiang, L.-W. Hsu

In the last 50 years molecular biology was dominated by the exploration of proteins and nucleic acids. Beside their role in energy metabolism, oligos- charides,which represent thethirdclass ofbiomacromolecules, have received less attention. Today it is well established that oligosaccharides are involved in many important biologicalregulation and recognition processes fromp- tein folding to cell-cell communication. Glycosylation of proteins is the most complexformofco-andposttranslationalmodi?cation. Thedeterminationof structure-function relationships, however, remains dif?cult due to the mic- heterogeneity of glycoproteins that exist in many different glycoforms. Thus chemical synthesis of glycoproteins and glycopeptides with de?ned glycan structures plays a pivotal role for the detailed determination of the role of protein glycosylation. This topic is covered by the ?rst two chapters of this bookdealingwiththechemicaland enzymatic synthesis ofglycopeptides and glycoproteins. The third chapter describes the construction of glycopeptide andglycoproteinmimetics containingnon-naturalstructuralelements. These so-calledneoglycopeptidesandneoglycoproteins,respectively,canprovide- sight on the importance of distinct structural elements on biological activity andmayhaveimproved propertiessuchasanincreased stability. Theappli- tion of synthetic glycopeptides, in many cases at the clinical level, as vaccines forbothcancerandHIVisthesubjectofthefourthchapter. Glycopeptide antibiotics are glycosylated secondary metabolites of bacteria and fungi that are synthesized by non-ribosomal peptide synthetases. Some of them serve as antibiotics of last resort in the treatment of nosocomial infections with enterococci and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains. Their structure, biosynthesis, and mode of action are summarized in the ?fth chapter. The last chapter covers current methods for the determination of high-resolution structures of glycopeptides and glycoproteins mainly based onNMRspectroscopy, X-raycrystallography,and molecular modeling.

Specialist Periodical Reports provide systematic and detailed review coverage of progress in the major areas of chemical research. Written by experts in their specialist fields the series creates a unique service for the active research chemist, supplying regular critical in-depth accounts of progress in particular areas of chemistry. For over 80 years the Royal Society of Chemistry and its predecessor, the Chemical Society, have been publishing reports charting developments in chemistry, which originally took the form of Annual Reports. However, by 1967 the whole spectrum of chemistry could no longer be contained within one volume and the series Specialist Periodical Reports was born. The Annual Reports themselves still existed but were divided into two, and subsequently three, volumes covering Inorganic, Organic and Physical Chemistry. For more general coverage of the highlights in chemistry they remain a 'must'. Since that time the SPR series has altered according to the fluctuating degree of activity in various fields of chemistry. Some titles have remained unchanged, while others have altered their emphasis along with their titles; some have been combined under a new name whereas others have had to be discontinued. The current list of Specialist Periodical Reports can be seen on the inside flap of this volume.

This second edition volume expands on the first edition with new developments on Toll-Like Receptors (TLRs) controlling events such as cross-priming of associated pattern recognition receptors, post-transcriptional regulation, interaction with other cellular and biologic systems, and cancer progression. This book is divided into five sections: Part I outlines methods for TLR detection, interaction, and intracellular trafficking; Part II describes methods and assays to investigate how TLRs cross-prime other pattern recognition receptors, including intracellular DNA receptors and inflammasome formation; Part III highlights RNA regulation, detailing how TLRs can induce RNA transcripts and molecules such as lncRNAs and microRNAs; Part IV explores TLR detection and activation in systems such as epithelial barrier function, metabolism and the circadian clock, as well as cellular systems including T and B lymphocytes; and Part V describes models to delineate the role of TLRs in diseases such as dermatitis, arthritis, and gastric cancer. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, each chapter contains a summary, a list of required materials, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, useful notes to investigate TLRs in cell culture, systems and disease, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Practical and cutting-edge, Toll-Like Receptors: Methods and Protocols, Second Edition is a valuable resource to any immunologist, molecular or medical biologist working in a laboratory setting. It will add skill to both students and the more advanced molecular biologist who wishes to learn a new technique or move to a different area within their current repertoire of practical knowledge.

Proteomics by means of mass spectrometry has rapidly changed the way that we analyze proteomes. "Gel-Free Proteomics: Methods and Protocols" addresses contemporary methods for gel-free proteome research with a special focus on differential analysis and protein modifications. Divided into twenty-five chapters, this detailed volume meticulously describes vital procedures needed to perform gel-free proteomics, ranging from sample preparation, isotope labeling for differential proteomics, enrichment technologies for modified proteins and peptides, and bioinformatics. Written in the successful "Methods in Molecular Biology " series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.

Authoritative and easily accessible, "Gel-Free Proteomics: Methods and Protocols" serves as a timely resource for both professionals and novices pursing research in this critical field."

This book covers the fundamentals of protein inactivation during bioseparation and the effect on protein processing. Bioseparation of Proteins is unique because it provides a background of the bioseparation processes, and it is the first book available to emphasize the influence of the different bioseparation processes on protein inactivation.
Bioseparation of Proteins covers the extent, mechanisms of, and control of protein inactivation during these processes along with the subsequent and essential validation of these processes. The book focuses on the avoidance of protein (biologicalproduct) inactivation at each step in a bioprocess. It compares protein inactivation exhibited during the different bioseparation processes by different workers and provides a valuable framework for workers in different areas interested in bioseparations.
Topics include separation and detection methods; estimates of protein inactivation and an analysis of this problem for different separation processes; strategies for avoiding inactivation; the molecular basis of surface activity and protein adsorption, process monitoring, and product validation techniques; and the economics of various bioseparation processes and quality control procedures.
Key Features
* Protein inactivation and other aspects of biological stability are critical to an effective bioseparation process; This book is a detailed and critical review of the available literature in an area that is essential to the effectiveness, validation, and economics of bioseparation processes for drugs and other biological products; Conveniently assembled under one cover, the survey of the literature and resulting perspective will greatly assist engineers and chemists in designingand improving their own processes; Key features of the text include:
* detailed data on biological stability under various bioseparation conditions
* extensive case studies from the literature on separation processes, validation, and economics
* simplified analysis of protein refolding and inactivation mechanisms
* consideration of adsorption theories and the effect of heterogeneity
* coverage of both classical and novel bioseparation techniques, including chromatographic procedures

The first edition of Protein Purification Protocols (1996), edited by Professor Shawn Doonan, rapidly became very successful. Professor Doonan achieved his aims of p- ducing a list of protocols that were invaluable to newcomers in protein purification and of significant benefit to established practitioners. Each chapter was written by an ex- rienced expert in the field. In the intervening time, a number of advances have w- ranted a second edition. However, in attempting to encompass the recent developments in several areas, the intention has been to expand on the original format, retaining the concepts that made the initial edition so successful. This is reflected in the structure of this second edition. I am indebted to Professor Doonan for his involvement in this new edition and the continuity that this brings. Each chapter that appeared in the original volume has been reviewed and updated to reflect advances and bring the topic into the 21st century. In many cases, this reflects new applications or new matrices available from vendors. Many of these have increased the performance and/or scope of the given method. Several new chapters have been introduced, including chapters on all the currently used protein fractionation and ch- matographic techniques. They introduce the theory and background for each method, providing lists of the equipment and reagents required for their successful execution, as well as a detailed description of how each is performed.

Specialist Periodical Reports provide systematic and detailed review coverage of progress in the major areas of chemical research. Written by experts in their specialist fields the series creates a unique service for the active research chemist, supplying regular critical in-depth accounts of progress in particular areas of chemistry. For over 80 years the Royal Society of Chemistry and its predecessor, the Chemical Society, have been publishing reports charting developments in chemistry, which originally took the form of Annual Reports. However, by 1967 the whole spectrum of chemistry could no longer be contained within one volume and the series Specialist Periodical Reports was born. The Annual Reports themselves still existed but were divided into two, and subsequently three, volumes covering Inorganic, Organic and Physical Chemistry. For more general coverage of the highlights in chemistry they remain a 'must'. Since that time the SPR series has altered according to the fluctuating degree of activity in various fields of chemistry. Some titles have remained unchanged, while others have altered their emphasis along with their titles; some have been combined under a new name whereas others have had to be discontinued. The current list of Specialist Periodical Reports can be seen on the inside flap of this volume.

This volume explores the considerable efforts that have been directed towards the development of G Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCR) screening assays in order to disclose GPCR acting compounds, elucidate signaling mechanisms or evaluate compound's efficacy. New discoveries in the field, along with the widely recognized need for better and safer pharmaceutical drugs constitute the main motivation for this book. Readers, both beginners and experienced researchers, will receive an updated overview of not only the established, but also the innovative technologies that promise to advance GPCR drug research. This book is organized into two major parts: the introductory part discusses the necessary foundations for the understanding of GPCR action and the rationale behind the design of the available screening assays; and part two provides detailed protocols for different screening approaches. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, the chapters include the kind of detailed description and implementation advice that is crucial for getting optimal results in the laboratory. Practical and innovative, G Protein-Coupled Receptor Screening Assays: Methods and Protocols reaches out to everyone involved in the discovery of GPCR-active drugs, and provides a transversal overview of the different levels of GPCR signaling addressable in the different screening strategies and presents practical examples of how current assay technologies are contributing to new paradigms in GPCR drug research.

This book provides a molecular view of membrane transport by means of numerous biochemical and biophysical techniques. The rapidly growing numbers of atomic structures of transporters in different conformations and the constant progress in bioinformatics have recently added deeper insights.The unifying mechanism of energized solute transport across membranes is assumed to consist of the conformational cycling of a carrier protein to provide access to substrate binding sites from either side of a cellular membrane. Due to the central role of active membrane transport there is considerable interest in deciphering the principles of one of the most fundamental processes in nature: the alternating access mechanism.This book brings together particularly significant structure-function studies on a variety of carrier systems from different transporter families: Glutamate symporters, LeuT-like fold transporters, MFS transporters and SMR (RND) exporters, as well as ABC-type importers.The selected examples impressively demonstrate how the combination of functional analysis, crystallography, investigation of dynamics and computational studies has made it possible to create a conclusive picture or more precisely, a molecular movie . Although we are still far from a complete molecular description of the alternating access mechanism, remarkable progress has been made from static snapshots towards membrane transport dynamics."

Amino Acid Analysis (AAA) is an integral part of analytical biochemistry. In a relatively short time, the variety of AAA methods has evolved dramatically with more methods shifting to the use of mass spectrometry (MS) as a detection method. Another new aspect is miniaturization. However, most importantly, AAA in this day and age should be viewed in the context of Metabolomics as a part of Systems Biology. Amino Acid Analysis: Methods and Protocols presents a broad spectrum of all available methods allowing for readers to choose the method that most suits their particular laboratory set-up and analytical needs. In this volume, a reader can find chapters describing general as well as specific approaches to the sample preparation. A number of chapters describe specific applications of AAA in clinical chemistry as well as in food analysis, microbiology, marine biology, drug metabolism, even archeology. Separate chapters are devoted to the application of AAA for protein quantitation and chiral AAA. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series format, chapters contain introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and accessible, Amino Acid Analysis: Methods and Protocols provides crucial techniques that can be applied across multiple disciplines by anyone involved in biomedical research or life sciences.

A major success story of modem molecular biology is the development of technologies to clone and express specific genes. Current applications of recombinant gene products cover a wide spectrum, including gene therapy, production of bioactive pharmaceuticals, synthesis of novel biopolymers, agriculture and animal husbandry, and so on. Inherent in bringing these appli cations to fruition is the need to design "expression constructs" that will per mit the ready and specific detection and isolation of the defined recombinant gene products. Recombinant Protein Protocols grows out of the need for a laboratory manual on the detection and isolation of recombinantly expressed genes that covers both the background information and the practical laboratory recipes for these analyses. In this book, detailed and contemporary protocols are col lected to provide the reader with a wide-ranging number of methodologies to enhance the detection and isolation of their gene product(s) of interest. A large number of molecular tags and labels and their usage are described, including enzymes, ligand-binding moieties, immunodetectable molecules, as well as methods to detect interactive proteins, and gene expression-mediated alter ations in cellular activity. Chapters on in situ detection of gene expression deal with technologies that are currently being applied to the study of gene function and activity. Highlights of applications for recombinant gene expres sion technologies are provided to give readers exciting perspectives on the future of such technologies.

Specialist Periodical Reports provide systematic and detailed review coverage of progress in the major areas of chemical research. Written by experts in their specialist fields the series creates a unique service for the active research chemist, supplying regular critical in-depth accounts of progress in particular areas of chemistry. For over 80 years the Royal Society of Chemistry and its predecessor, the Chemical Society, have been publishing reports charting developments in chemistry, which originally took the form of Annual Reports. However, by 1967 the whole spectrum of chemistry could no longer be contained within one volume and the series Specialist Periodical Reports was born. The Annual Reports themselves still existed but were divided into two, and subsequently three, volumes covering Inorganic, Organic and Physical Chemistry. For more general coverage of the highlights in chemistry they remain a 'must'. Since that time the SPR series has altered according to the fluctuating degree of activity in various fields of chemistry. Some titles have remained unchanged, while others have altered their emphasis along with their titles; some have been combined under a new name whereas others have had to be discontinued. The current list of Specialist Periodical Reports can be seen on the inside flap of this volume.

Prions are infectious, self-propagating proteinaceous agents that cause fatal neurodegenerative diseases, including Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) in humans, scrapie in sheep and goats, and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle. In recent years great strides have been made in our understanding of the mechanism of prion propagations and neurotoxicity, however much remains to be discovered. In this book, renowned prion experts review the most recent advances to provide an overview of the field.

Using a novel approach that combines high temporal resolution of the laser T-jump technique with unique sets of fluorescent probes, this study unveils previously unresolved DNA dynamics during search and recognition by an architectural DNA bending protein and two DNA damage recognition proteins. Many cellular processes involve special proteins that bind to specific DNA sites with high affinity. How these proteins recognize their sites while rapidly searching amidst ~3 billion nonspecific sites in genomic DNA remains an outstanding puzzle. Structural studies show that proteins severely deform DNA at specific sites and indicate that DNA deformability is a key factor in site-specific recognition. However, the dynamics of DNA deformations have been difficult to capture, thus obscuring our understanding of recognition mechanisms. The experiments presented in this thesis uncover, for the first time, rapid (~100-500 microseconds) DNA unwinding/bending attributed to nonspecific interrogation, prior to slower (~5-50 milliseconds) DNA kinking/bending/nucleotide-flipping during recognition. These results help illuminate how a searching protein interrogates DNA deformability and eventually "stumbles" upon its target site. Submillisecond interrogation may promote preferential stalling of the rapidly scanning protein at cognate sites, thus enabling site-recognition. Such multi-step search-interrogation-recognition processes through dynamic conformational changes may well be common to the recognition mechanisms for diverse DNA-binding proteins.

The effort to sequence the human genome is now moving toward a c- clusion. As all of the protein coding sequences are described, an increasing emphasis will be placed on understanding gene function and regulation. One important aspect of this analysis is the study of how transcription factors re- late transcriptional initiation by RNA polymerase II, which is responsible for transcribing nuclear genes encoding messenger RNAs. The initiation of Class II transcription is dependent upon transcription factors binding to DNA e- ments that include the core or basal promoter elements, proximal promoter elements, and distal enhancer elements. General initiation factors are involved in positioning RNA polymerase II on the core promoter, but the complex - teraction of these proteins and transcriptional activators binding to DNA e- ments outside the core promoter regulate the rate of transcriptional initiation. This initiation process appears to be a crucial step in the modulation of mRNA levels in response to developmental and environmental signals. Transcription Factor Protocols provides step-by-step procedures for key techniques that have been developed to study DNA sequences and the protein factors that regulate the transcription of protein encoding genes. This volume is aimed at providing researchers in the field with the well-detailed protocols that have been the hallmark of previous volumes of the Methods in Molecular (TM) Biology series.

Specialist Periodical Reports provide systematic and detailed review coverage of progress in the major areas of chemical research. Written by experts in their specialist fields the series creates a unique service for the active research chemist, supplying regular critical in-depth accounts of progress in particular areas of chemistry. For over 80 years the Royal Society of Chemistry and its predecessor, the Chemical Society, have been publishing reports charting developments in chemistry, which originally took the form of Annual Reports. However, by 1967 the whole spectrum of chemistry could no longer be contained within one volume and the series Specialist Periodical Reports was born. The Annual Reports themselves still existed but were divided into two, and subsequently three, volumes covering Inorganic, Organic and Physical Chemistry. For more general coverage of the highlights in chemistry they remain a 'must'. Since that time the SPR series has altered according to the fluctuating degree of activity in various fields of chemistry. Some titles have remained unchanged, while others have altered their emphasis along with their titles; some have been combined under a new name whereas others have had to be discontinued. The current list of Specialist Periodical Reports can be seen on the inside flap of this volume.

With the rapid proliferation of RNAi applications in basic and clinical sciences, the challenge has now become understanding how components of RNAi machinery function together in a regulated manner. Argonaute proteins are the central effectors of RNAi and are highly conserved among eukaryotes and some archaebacteria. These RNA-binding proteins use small guide RNAs to silence expression of genes at the mRNA and DNA levels. In Argonaute Proteins: Methods and Protocols, expert researchers in this burgeoning field provide detailed, up-to-date methods to study Argonaute protein functions and interactions in a wide variety of cell types ranging from yeast to mammalian systems, as well as in vitro. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series format, chapters include brief introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Practical and authoritative, Argonaute Proteins: Methods and Protocols serves as a vital reference for both experienced and novice scientists approaching the vast complexities of RNAi research.

This detailed volume assembles comprehensive protocols to assist with the study of structural, molecular, cell biological, and in vivo facets of GPCRs, and to enable the development of experimental tools for screening novel GPCR drugs. Sections explore the tweaking of ligands, bioluminescence and FRET approaches, specific GPCR signaling properties, as well as visualization of subcellular compartmentalization. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, G Protein-Coupled Receptor Signaling: Methods and Protocols serves as an ideal reference for life scientists working in a variety of research fields including molecular pharmacology, cell and developmental biology, brain behavior and physiology, drug development and screening. Chapter 4 is available open access under a CC BY 4.0 license via link.springer.com.

Sequencing projects have revealed the presence of at least several hundred receptor kinases in a typical plant genome. Receptor kinases are therefore the largest family of primary signal transducers in plants, and their abundance suggests an immense signaling network that we have only just begun to uncover. Recent research findings indicate that individual receptor kinases fulfill important roles in growth and development, in the recognition of pathogens and symbionts or, in a few examples, in both growth and defense. This volume will focus on the roles of receptor kinases, their signaling pathways, and the ways in which these important signaling proteins are regulated.

The adsorption of proteins at interfaces plays a role in many ?elds, such as health, food, environment and analysis. Fundamental aspects are useful when considering applications. We focus here especially on solid-liquid interfaces and present a few fundamental studies regarding adsorption - netics and conformational changes, and examples of applications to sensors and membranes. The ?rst part is dedicated to fundamental studies performed using - tical waveguide lightmode spectroscopy, as an example of a technique that has the advantage of not requiring labelled proteins, but is limited to s- ci?c supports. Conversely, the radiolabelling of proteins, which has the disadvantage of any labelling process, allows application to any kind of s- faces. As proteins bear both positive and negative charges, we can expect thein?uenceofanelectric?eldnormaltothe interfaceonthe pack- ing order at interfaces. The re?ning of data treatment may also lead to the determination of useful structural parameters. The balance between protein-surface and protein-protein interactions is a key point for the - scription of the structure at high coverage of the surface. Electrokinetic methods, like measurement of the streaming potential, may be helpful in the electrical characterisation of the interfacial layer facing the solution. The second part includes different bench techniques that were dev- oped to improve the sensitivity of the characterisation of the orientation and structure of the proteins at interfaces: dual polarisation interferometry and total internal re?ection ellipsometry are such recent examples.