After trading Olympic dreams for a life in the lab, UChicago Pritzker Molecular Engineering PhD candidate Fabian Byléhn is working to advance science’s understanding of one of the building blocks of life.
Built from a complex biological origami of folded amino acids, proteins are responsible for DNA replication, the physical structure of cells, the transport of molecules and a huge number of other processes needed for life.
Increased understanding of the thousands of human and animal proteins has allowed scientists to design new proteins as lifesaving drugs, therapies and other treatments, but an issue remains: Proteins move, change and interact over time. The best available techniques for studying proteins provide static images that can’t show time.
Deducing motion from still photos remains one of the field’s great challenges.
Working in the de Pablo Group and co-advised by PME Prof. Juan de Pablo and Prof. Rama Ranganathan, Byléhn is using a computational modeling technique called molecular dynamics to provide new insights into the physics of proteins.
“This research could be applied in pharmaceuticals, to try to build new drugs that can fight off infections, because all of these infections always have to do with a protein,” Byléhn said. “We can either design certain proteins in our own body to be more resistant to diseases or infections or design new small molecules that can prevent how certain proteins in bacteria or viruses work.”
The Human Race
For most of his early years, Byléhn’s focus wasn’t on academics but on sports. He is from a long line of runners, including a great-grandfather who took silver medals in two Olympics.
“When I was young, I was always on the road through Sweden competing along with my sister and my dad,” Byléhn said. “We were constantly traveling to running competitions. My goal was to become an Olympic runner myself.”
By high school, the wear-and-tear of injuries accumulated to the point he could no longer run at a globally competitive level. Byléhn then turned his attention to another area where he could excel: the sciences.
The son of a social worker and a nurse, Byléhn knew he wanted to use his chemical engineering degree to help people. This led him to pursue his PhD at PME, where his research into protein composition could open doors to better, more affordable healthcare.
“The computational modeling techniques that Fabian has developed will advance our understanding of protein physics. Those advances will provide new opportunities to understand diseases, discover new drugs, and help humanity,” de Pablo said.
Passing the Torch
Inspired in part by the high school math and physics teachers who helped an injured Olympic hopeful find a new path, Byléhn is committed to the outreach opportunities he has found at PME.
He is involved in PME’s Science Communications Program and has taught science courses in Mexico twice – in Spanish – through the nonprofit Clubes de Ciencia México.
Byléhn’s goal is to pursue a career in industry, but always to reserve time to teach students as an adjunct instructor on the side. His degree from PME is helping him achieve his goals.
“I want to inspire younger people to reach their potential,” Byléhn said. “Especially with underrepresented minorities, there are a lot of systemic challenges that are not working in their favor. They might not have the confidence to pursue a scientific career. Teaching can help inspire that confidence, show that anyone can pursue a career in science if they want to.”