Biophysical studies of lipid-protein interactions

Knowledge of the structure of a cell membrane and the interactions between its components is crucial to our understanding of membrane properties and function. It is established that bacterial cell membranes differ in lipid composition from eukaryotic plasma cell membranes, as do different membranes within cells. Little is known about the reasons for this diversity, although some specific interactions between lipids and proteins have neem identified. Our projects focus on the interactions between lipids or between lipids and proteins, using a range of structural and spectroscopic tools. This project will apply a range of electrochemical, structural and spectroscopic tools to investigate specific lipid-protein interactions and whether they can be targeted for therapies, antimicrobial treatments or crop protection.