Structural biology of proteins involved in infection
- Research Opportunity
- PhD, Masters by Research, Honours, Master of Biomedical Science
- Department
- Medicine and Radiology
- Location
- St Vincent's Hospital
| Supervisor | Number | Webpage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prof Michael Parker | Personal web page | ||
Project Details
The b-barrel pore-forming toxins constitute the largest group of functionally related toxins/proteins and are expressed in many species in the prokaryotic and eukaryotic kingdoms and also include the membrane attack complex/perforin (MACPF) family of mammalian immune defence proteins. Despite their widespread occurrence and role in bacterial pathogenesis and immune defence, the detailed mechanism by which they form pores remains an enigma. The overall aim here is to visualise the 3D structures of family members as a basis for functional studies to reveal the molecular details of how these toxins insert into membranes to form b-barrel pores and how the process is regulated. The structures will shed light on one of the most fundamental biological events (namely, protein insertion into cell membranes) and also provide the basis for the design of novel tools with various biotechnology applications and the design of novel antibiotics.
This project is conducted in St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research, Structural Biology Unit.
Faculty Research Themes
School Research Themes
Child Health in Medicine, Women's Health
Research Opportunities
PhD, Masters by Research, Honours, Master of Biomedical Science
Students who are interested in joining this project will need to consider their elegibility as well as other requirements before contacting the supervisor of this research
Key Contact
For further information about this research, please contact a supervisor.
Department
Research Group / Unit / Centre
Research Node
St Vincent's HospitalMDHS Research library
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