In-house research

The in-house research programme of the group includes structural studies associated with

  • Method development for in vivo production of deuterated macromolecules for neutron scattering studies
  • host-pathogen interactions (eg HIV, malaria –in collaboration with the Medical School at the University of Witwaterstrand, South Africa)
  • amyloid structure and assembly (in collaboration with  Crete University)
  • protonation and hydration in redox proteins
  • transthyretin (TTR) amyloidosis (in collaboration with University College London (UCL) Centre for Amyloidosis and Acute Phase Proteins 
  • solution state studies of the holotranslocon (in collaboration with Cambridge and Bristol)
  • lectins and structural glycobiology (in collaboration with CERMAV, Grenoble)
  • macromolecular crystallogenesis for large crystal growth (in collaboration with ESS, Lund, FZJ, Munich)
  • local and global protein dynamics by neutron scattering, spectroscopic, and x-ray diffraction (in collaboration with Hamburg)
  • fibre diffraction - combined neutron, synchrotron x-ray and free electron laser (FEL) approaches for the study of filamentous molecules (in collaboration with CFEL, Hamburg, Canterbury, New Zealand, New York University, USA)

The group plays an active part in training of undergraduate placement students from member state country universities. The placements (typically 2-3 trainees per annum) are of ~12 months duration and involve projects that usually relate to one of the ongoing in-house projects that involve both ILL, ESRF and PSB capabilities, and provide practical training and involvement in highly interdisciplinary biological projects.