The Dynamic Interactome
Mission: To understand molecular mechanisms across spatial and temporal scales and to uncover new opportunities for intervention.
This theme focuses on understanding and manipulating biological processes over different time scales, and determining how these molecular mechanisms relate to life. Approaches exploited include: structural biology, disruptive molecular discovery, molecular dynamics, super resolution imaging, chemical tools, single molecule biophysics, biomolecular mass-spectrometry, -omics and cutting edge spectroscopies.
Our goals are to drive a step-change in our understanding of biological molecular mechanisms via:
- application and innovative combination of state-of-the-art tools to study biomacromolecule folding, aggregation and interactions in a systems and cellular context
- development of methods to manipulate and understand dynamic biomolecular mechanisms.
Key areas of focus:
- Intrinsically disordered proteins and intrinsically disordered regions;
- Protein-protein interactions and their regulation by post-translational modification;
- The life cycle of proteins;
- Cell signalling networks and interactomes.
Key discoveries made:
- Integrated chemical tools and microfluidic technology to map dynamic interactions
- Characterization of functional states of the β-barrel assembly machinery
- Understanding of the functional regulation of Aurora A kinase by protein-protein interactions
- Structural mapping of oligomeric intermediates in an amyloid assembly pathway
- Characterization of allosteric regulation in mechanosensitive ion channels