Structural biology of proteins involved in mental illnesses
- Research Opportunity
- PhD, Masters by Research, Honours, Master of Biomedical Science
- Number of Honour Places Available
- 1
- Department
- Medicine and Radiology
- Location
- St Vincent's Institute of Medical Research
| Primary Supervisor | Number | Webpage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prof Michael Parker | mparker@svi.edu.au | Personal web page |
Summary Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the fourth biggest killer in developed countries. Amyloid precursor protein (APP) plays a central role in the development of AD, through generation of the toxic Abeta peptide by proteolytic breakdown of APP. Here we will use X-ray crystallography at the Australian Synchrotron to determine the 3D atomic structures of Abeta bound to therapeutic antibodies currently in clinical trials in order to understand how these molecules recognise Abeta. We use this information to engineer more potent antibodies as treatments for AD.
Project Details
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the fourth biggest killer in developed countries. Amyloid precursor protein (APP) plays a central role in the development of AD, through generation of the toxic Abeta peptide by proteolytic breakdown of APP. Here we will use X-ray crystallography at the Australian Synchrotron to determine the 3D atomic structures of Abeta bound to therapeutic antibodies currently in clinical trials in order to understand how these molecules recognise Abeta. We use this information to engineer more potent antibodies as treatments for AD. We also have structure-based drug discovery projects on APP itself and other proteins involved in the production and clearance of the Abeta peptide from the brain.
This project is conducted in St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research, Structural Biology Unit.
Faculty Research Themes
School Research Themes
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 Institute of Medical ResearchMDHS Research library
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