| The Protein Structure Group in Biophysics uses X-ray crystallography to determine protein structures at atomic resolution. Our research is driven by the desire to understand biological phenomena at the molecular level. |  |
Principal Investigators and Research Interests
| Peter Brick | Translation; protein synthesis. |
| Stephen Curry | Virus replication; fatty acid transport; protein-drug interactions. |
| Erhard Hohenester | Extracellular matrix proteins. |
The three principal investigators have diverse
but overlapping interests. Our primary interests are in proteins involved
in the replication and translation of genetic information but we are
also investigating the functions of extracellular proteins such as
endostatin and human serum albumin. The variety of projects being tackled
includes proteins of direct medical relevance as well as molecules
involved in fundamental biological processes. Current and recent projects
include:
| Lysyl tRNA-synthetase | An enzyme involved in decoding the genetic code. Structural studies with a variety of substrates have elucidated the molecular mechanism of catalysis. |  |
| Peptide synthetase | An enzyme involved in antibiotic peptide synthesis. |  |
| Human serum albumin | A transport protein used to carry insoluble fatty acids around the circulatory system. HSA also binds a variety of drugs and can alter their pharmacokinetics. |  |
| Endostatin | A collagen XVIII fragment that inhibits the growth of new blood vessels and may have important applications in tumour therapy. |  |
| For more details on the different research programs, refer to the individual home pages of each P.I. | ||
The group is highly collaborative, sharing common laboratory space and facilities. We are equipped with state-of-the-art instrumentaion not only for X-ray data collection and processing but also for molecular biology and protein purification. Our joint approach fosters good contacts between the P.I.s, postdocs and PhD students. We are also involved in local, national and international research collaborations.
We welcome approaches from prospective graduate students and postdocs
(see PG opportunities page)
or from potential collaborators.
IC-CSB  |
We are also founder members of the Imperial College Centre for Structural Biology which was established in 1997 in order to foster stronger contacts between structural biologists around the College. This has led to a number of exciting new collaborations, particularly with members of the Biochemistry Department. In 1999 the Centre won in excess of £1m in funding from the BBRSC. |
| Protein Crystallography Course |
|
We run a protein crystallography course which is primarily aimed at PhD students and postdocs who are currently working on crystallographic projects. The course teaches theoretical and practical aspects of protein crystallography. It is currently taught as 12 2 hour lectures |