Elucidating the determinants of cation import across the kingdoms of life. The metal ion manganese is essential to all forms of life. This project aims to investigate how this poorly abundant cation is selectively acquired from the chemical complexity of the environment for import into cells by using state-of-the-art biochemical and microbiological techniques. This project expects to define the fundamental basis for how bacterial, archaeal and eukaryotic plastid cation-selective importers can di ....Elucidating the determinants of cation import across the kingdoms of life. The metal ion manganese is essential to all forms of life. This project aims to investigate how this poorly abundant cation is selectively acquired from the chemical complexity of the environment for import into cells by using state-of-the-art biochemical and microbiological techniques. This project expects to define the fundamental basis for how bacterial, archaeal and eukaryotic plastid cation-selective importers can discriminate manganese from chemical similar cations to achieve selective uptake. The expected outcomes of this work will be an understanding of the fundamental basis for selective metal import in biological systems. This should provide benefits for industry through synthetic biological applications of this knowledge. Read moreRead less
Autotransporter assembly: new insights and biotechnological potential. The objective of this project is to improve our understanding of a fundamental biological problem: how autotransporters are assembled into cellular membranes. Autotransporters are a large family of bacterial proteins that play key roles in the pathogenesis of several infectious diseases. Currently, the precise mechanism by which disease-causing molecules are assembled into the outer membranes of bacteria and mitochondria is p ....Autotransporter assembly: new insights and biotechnological potential. The objective of this project is to improve our understanding of a fundamental biological problem: how autotransporters are assembled into cellular membranes. Autotransporters are a large family of bacterial proteins that play key roles in the pathogenesis of several infectious diseases. Currently, the precise mechanism by which disease-causing molecules are assembled into the outer membranes of bacteria and mitochondria is poorly understood. The knowledge that the project develops may inform future strategies aimed at the rational treatment of bacterial and mitochondrial diseases.Read moreRead less