César Ramírez Sarmiento

My name is César Ramírez Sarmiento.

I'm based in Santiago, Chile.

I'm a protein engineer and designer.

Proteins are macromolecules which are composed of amino acids.

They are made of 20 different types of amino acids.

They are represented by letters.

So you can imagine an alphabet of amino acids.

And you can imagine that these amino acids are connected to each other like beads on a string.

And so that allows for them to come together in different geometries.

And so they get a shape.

They get a three-dimensional structure that allows for them to dictate their functions.

We have many different proteins with many different shapes that actually perform different biological functions in cells.

They allow us to digest food.

They allow us to transport ions for electrical signals to go through neurons.

They allow for the expression of different genes that regulate how our cells or how our body responds.

Proteins are the workhorse of cells.

They are like a toolbox for cells to do whatever they have to do.

Proteins have been evolving for millions of years for performing functions that are important for cellular life.

They have been perfected by nature to do what they do now.

But when it comes to problems that are important for humankind, like plastic contamination, carbon dioxide, problems in health, we want to make them better.