Opportunities in the School of Biochemistry

Supervisor: Dr Marc Van der Kamp
Contact: marc.vanderkamp@bristol.ac.uk

Our group uses detailed (atomic level) biomolecular simulations to explore enzyme reactions. We apply this to

1. enzymes that can be used as biocatalysts, with an aim to understand as well as improve reactivity and specificity for desired reactions; and
2. serine beta-lactamase enzymes that cause antibiotic resistance, with an aim to understand how mutations affect beta-lactam breakdown and resistance to inhibition.

Supervisor: Professor Ross Anderson
Contact: ross.anderson@bristol.ac.uk

My lab works on the de novo design of cofactor-containing proteins for long range electron transfer, catalysis, light harvesting and artificial photosynthesis.

We use state-of-the-art machine learning-derived computational design methods to create our proteins, and study them using an array of structural and biophysical techniques (including X-ray crystallography, redox potentiometry, and CD, fluorescence and UV/visible spectroscopies).

Supervisor: Professor Imre Berger
Contact: imre.berger@bristol.ac.uk

We are interested in discovering the molecular mechanisms of gene expression in the growing oocyte. In an integrated approach, we use state-of-the-art eukaryotic expression technology, protein biochemistry, molecular biology, proteomics and structure elucidation by cryo-electron microscopy to unveil the structure and function of oocyte-specific transcription factor complexes at atomic resolution.

Our research has implications for treating infertility, a growing concern in developed societies.

Supervisor: Professor Christiane Berger-Schaffitzel
Contact: christiane.berger-schaffitzel@bristol.ac.uk

We study nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD), which is a key RNA surveillance mechanism in the cell.

NMD recognises and degrades transcripts with a premature termination codon. Such stop codon mutations account for ~20% of human genetic disease-associated single base-pair substitutions.

We investigate NMD mechanisms in health and disease using state-of-the-art eukaryotic expression technology, protein-RNA biochemistry, biophysics and structural biology (X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM).

Supervisor: Professor Ian Collinson
Contact: ian.collinson@bristol.ac.uk

The Collinson lab are interested in protein trafficking required for protein secretion and organellar biogenesis.

Research seeks to address the mechanisms of protein translocation and the consequences of transport failure.

A project will be available to study the process of mitochondrial protein import, and import dysfunction, and its importance in health and disease.

Supervisor: Dr Minkoo Ahn
Contact: minkoo.ahn@bristol.ac.uk

We are interested in rational design and engineering of macromolecular machinery, such as the ribosome and Sec translocon.

Using CRISPR/Cas9 we engineer these molecular machines in E. coli, and investigate how protein biosynthesis is modulated by engineered machines using biochemistry, structural biology (solution NMR spectroscopy and cryo-EM) and proteomics.

Molecular mechanisms such as translation and co-translational processes (folding, tranlocation and assembly) are investigated to provide useful insights for synthetic biology and biotechnology applications.