Directory of Experts
Details for Dr Christopher Dempsey
| Personal details | |
| Name | Dr Christopher Dempsey |
| Job title | Senior Lecturer in Biochemistry |
| Department | School of Biochemistry University of Bristol |
| Contact details | This expert can be contacted via the University of Bristol Public Relations
Office. To help us deal with your request, please mention the Directory of Experts when contacting the Public Relations Office. work+44 (0)117 331 8092 email: public-relations@bristol.ac.uk |
| Qualifications | B.Sc.(St.And.), Ph.D.(Lond.) |
| Professional details | |
| Keywords | antimicrobial peptides membrane biophysics modelling membrane ion channel proteins hERG voltage sensitive ion channel biological spectroscopy solute effects on protein stability molecular interactions peptide design |
| Areas of expertise | My main research interest is membrane insertion of proteins and antibiotic peptides: The insertion of polypeptides into membranes underlies many biological processes, including the assembly of membrane proteins, and the action of natural polypeptide toxins and some peptide antibiotics. Depending on specific circumstances, adoption of hydrophobic or amphipathic helical structure on binding to the membrane surface may be followed by membrane insertion, resulting in transmembrane helical intermediates in a membrane protein folding pathway, the formation of stable or transient membrane ion channels or, in the case of some polypeptide toxins and antibiotics, the generation of a lytic pore. We are using molecular biological and spectroscopic methods to characterise these processes in native, cell-free and model systems. |