Unravelling the mechanisms of sodium-selectivity in biological ion channels. The aim of this project is to determine the origins of protein-mediated sodium ion transport across cell membranes. The project expects to reveal the mechanisms of selective ion conduction in different sodium-selective ion channels using advanced computer simulations, in concert with non-canonical mutation experiments that target the roles of protein chemistry. The expected outcome is improved understanding of how prote ....Unravelling the mechanisms of sodium-selectivity in biological ion channels. The aim of this project is to determine the origins of protein-mediated sodium ion transport across cell membranes. The project expects to reveal the mechanisms of selective ion conduction in different sodium-selective ion channels using advanced computer simulations, in concert with non-canonical mutation experiments that target the roles of protein chemistry. The expected outcome is improved understanding of how proteins discriminate between ion species, challenging theories that have stood for decades. The results should provide benefits in the form of basic understanding relevant to ion transport phenomena in biology and novel materials, with atomic-level views of nervous system function to guide future directions in drug development.
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Uncovering the molecular mechanisms of potassium channel activity. The aim of this project is to determine the mechanisms of protein-mediated potassium ion transport across cell membranes. It will combine advanced simulations, structural biology and electrophysiology to describe the detailed molecular processes underscoring calcium-activated potassium channel conduction, gating and inactivation. The expected outcome is an improved description of how ion channels recognise and respond to physiolo ....Uncovering the molecular mechanisms of potassium channel activity. The aim of this project is to determine the mechanisms of protein-mediated potassium ion transport across cell membranes. It will combine advanced simulations, structural biology and electrophysiology to describe the detailed molecular processes underscoring calcium-activated potassium channel conduction, gating and inactivation. The expected outcome is an improved description of how ion channels recognise and respond to physiological stimuli to control electrical signalling the body. Our results will provide benefits in the form of basic understanding relevant to ion transport phenomena in biological systems, and atomic-level views of nervous system function to guide future directions in pharmacology.Read moreRead less
Laws of attraction and repulsion: a novel family of bacterial chemo-sensors. This project aims to reveal the structural basis for the abilities of a newly characterised, widespread family of chemotaxis receptors to sense and distinguish between attractants and repellents. Many bacteria are motile. Controlling the movement of bacterial populations requires understanding of their chemosensory mechanisms. It is anticipated that this work will generate significant new knowledge in the field of signa ....Laws of attraction and repulsion: a novel family of bacterial chemo-sensors. This project aims to reveal the structural basis for the abilities of a newly characterised, widespread family of chemotaxis receptors to sense and distinguish between attractants and repellents. Many bacteria are motile. Controlling the movement of bacterial populations requires understanding of their chemosensory mechanisms. It is anticipated that this work will generate significant new knowledge in the field of signalling biology that will drive the discovery of novel chemo-effectors and the redesign of receptor specificity. Innovative use of this knowledge could be the development of new classes of repellents that are not toxic. These could be used as a means to prevent infections caused by bacterial build-up on implanted medical devices.Read moreRead less
Structural and functional studies of Helicobacter pylori flagellar motor. This project investigates the bacterial flagellar motor specialised for locomotion in viscous fluids. Its striking feature, revealed by cryo-tomography, is a complex cage-like protein scaffold that is hypothesised to stabilise the wider force-generating ring of the motor to sustain a larger turning force. The aim is to unravel the make-up of this scaffold and the structural basis for its ability to recruit more force-gener ....Structural and functional studies of Helicobacter pylori flagellar motor. This project investigates the bacterial flagellar motor specialised for locomotion in viscous fluids. Its striking feature, revealed by cryo-tomography, is a complex cage-like protein scaffold that is hypothesised to stabilise the wider force-generating ring of the motor to sustain a larger turning force. The aim is to unravel the make-up of this scaffold and the structural basis for its ability to recruit more force-generating units, in order to advance our fundamental knowledge about the mechanism of the bacterial flagellar motor, and about strategies used by nature to increase its performance under high viscosity conditions. This research is expected to add a new paradigm for how polar flagellar motors assemble and function in bacteria.
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