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School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences
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Structural Biology

Structural Biology

Introduction

Our research involves determining the shape, structure and dynamics of proteins and macromolecular machines to elucidate how they achieve their remarkable activities in the cell with a focus on a number of biological processes including: the conversion of light to chemical energy, bacterial pathogenesis, Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease and cancer.

In our studies we use integrated computational, biochemical and structural methods including X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy and Cryo-electron microscopy in addition to spectroscopic and thermodynamic techniques. We study both soluble and membrane proteins and large macromolecular complexes.

Our overarching goal is to understand the atomic and molecular basis of biological processes in terms of the architecture, assembly, dynamics and interactions that shape life at the cellular level. We are also interested in synthetic biology, where life processes are harnessed for improving and greening industrial transformations to bring about improvements in the quality of life.

Our work underpins grand challenges in healthy ageing, antimicrobial resistance, energy, and synthetic biology where we target the macromolecular assemblies for therapeutic interventions or industrial biotechnology applications.

Structural Biology
Structural Biology
  • A) Pickersgill Group: Higher order nanotubes of bacterial microcompartment protein PduA (JBC 2014; 289(32):22377
  • B) Viles Group: Amyloid-b fibres –Zn2+ induced assemblies (JMB 2016; 428(14):2832-2846)
  • C) Nield Group: Structural studies of PSII-LHCII megacomplexes (Photosynth Res 2016 Accepted), iron partitioning and ferritin function (Metallomics 2013; 5(8):997-1005)

 

Staff

Researcher Title Department

Research Interests
Darbari, Dr Vidya Lecturer in Structural Biology Biochemistry

X-ray, Crystallography, Electron microscopy, Protein-protein interaction, Ribonucleoprotein complex, Gene regulation
Ilangovan, Dr Aravindan Lecturer in Structural Biology (Nanchang Joint Programme)  Biochemistry  Bacterial microcompartments, Structural biology, Bacterial Conjugation Systems
Janes, Dr Bob

Senior Lecturer

 Biochemistry

Structure-function, Polypeptide toxins, Bioinformatics, 2struc, PCDDB, SRCD spectroscopy, Circular dichroism

Main, Dr Ewan

 Senior Lecturer, Deputy Director of Student Experience Biochemistry

Biochemistry, Molecular biophysics, Repeat proteins, Protein folding
Pickersgill, Prof Richard

Head of School and Professor of Structural Biology

Biochemistry

Structural biology, Protein crystallography, Synthetic biology, Enzymes, Cobalamin, Biosynthesis, Bacterial microcompartments
Stieglitz, Dr Ben Lecturer in Biochemistry 

Biochemistry

Ubiquitin, Host-pathogen interaction, Anti-microbial resistance, Structural biology, Enzymology
van Breugel, Dr Mark  Lecturer  Biochemistry  Centrioles, Centrosomes, Cilia formation (ciliogenesis) mechanisms, Biochemistry, Structural biology
Viles, Dr John Reader in Biochemistry and Director of Biochemistry Programme

Biochemistry

Protein misfolding, Neurodegeneration, Alzheimers, Prions, Spectroscopy, Biochemistry

 

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