Proteins such as signaling molecules, catalytic enzymes, and membrane transporters are not static but are in a state of constant motion for function. In her first talk, Dorothee Kern explains how she uses techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), X ray crystallography, single molecule FRET and computational simulations to visualize rapid protein dynamics. Kern walks us through the basics of these techniques and explains how they can provide structural and energetic information about a protein and how it functions in the cell.