Summer School 2026

Allosteric proteins are composite macro-molecular switches-made-of-switches(-made-of-switches...). The larger switches consist of coupled smaller switches bearing discrete individual “on/off” states, that mysteriously coordinate in the collective elastic network to sense and influence their physico-chemical environment. In this lecture series we will explore together the hidden physics and geometry behind the phenomenon of allostery and learn how allosteric molecules can be intuitively understood as a network of topologically communicating switches interacting geometrically within closed elastic loops – pretty much similar to man made electronic circuits. We will eventually understand why allosteric molecules tend to have holes and explore the rules how to actually build our own allosteric proteins from scratch in the near future. On this few days excursion from looped robots, spatial groups, Ising spin systems and neural networks, I hope to convince my young listeners that allostery is a deeply physical phenomenon - that can be mathematically understood and played with to the technological benefit of humanity - and reach them a few of the keys we already discovered to unlock further doors down this maze for themselves.