Genetic and molecular studies on the regulation of gene expression during development from amoeba to plasmodium in the slime mould Physarum polycephalum.
Genetic, molecular and cell biological approaches in budding yeast to investigate the role of the actin cytoskeleton in endocytosis, apoptosis and ageing.
Interests include structure of membrane proteins and complexes by high resolution electron microscopy and X-ray crystallography: photosynthesis, bacterial transport proteins, membrane complexes.
Molecular biology of life in extreme environments, especially high salinity and low temperature environments. Bioremediation of polluted groundwater systems.
Genetic and molecular analysis of DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair in yeast. Most work is focussed on understanding how DSB repair is regulated meiosis. New efforts are being directed to mitotic DNA repair with the aim of determining how the cell ensure the DSB repair mode is least likely to cause genomic instability
The manipulation of plant gene expression to study the genetic control of plant signal transduction and developmental processes. Antisense gene expression to produce transgenic plants with targeted mutations is used to assign biological functions to unidentified cloned genes and also to further define the role of identified genes in planta.
The regulation of bacterial transcription in response to changes in oxygen availability, and to oxidative and nitrosative stress; iron-sulphur proteins as regulators; role of CRP-FNR family transcription factors in bacterial stress responses.
Gene cloning and molecular genetic analysis of bacterial enzymes, regulatory proteins and multienzyme complexes. Control of gene expression by oxygen and metabolic activities of genetically-manipulated organisms.
Structure-function relationships in the iron-storage protein, ferritin. Structural and functional relationships among ferritins, di-manganese catalases and other dinuclear metal proteins.
Structure-function relationship in human IgE and its receptors, design of anti-allergic drugs, IgE-mediated trans-membrane signalling, mast and losinophil cell proteomics.
Structure and function of photosynthetic membranes in plants: regulation of the light harvesting complexes; acclimation of photosynthesis to the changing environment; photosynthesis, abiotic stress and crop yield.
Molecular biology and physiology of human pathogenic bacteria, particularly Heliobacter pylori and Campylobacter jejuni. Structure, function and mechanism of a novel class of bacterial periplasmic solute transport system.
The lab’s research addresses the nature of mRNA surveillance processes in eukaryotic cells. These are quality control systems that identify and degrade incorrectly transcribed, processed or assembled mRNAs.
The molecular biology of spore germination in Bacillus subtilis and in the Bacillus cereus family, and the structure and assembly of coats and exosporium. The role of sigma M in the stress-resistance of vegetative cells of B. subtilis.
Reproductive biology of gametes and the early embryo. The derivation and differentiation of human embryonic stem cells and their application for cell therapies to treat degenerative diseases.
Human leucocyte antigens, specifically the structure/function of tetraspanins; monoclonal antibody technology. Analysis of human antibody responses using phase display.
Prof Robert Poole - West Riding Chair in Microbiology
Bacterial physiology and molecular genetics, in particular respiration, nitric oxide metabolism and oxidative stress in Escherichia coli, respiratory pathways in pathogenic bacteria (especially Campylobacter and Salmonella sp.), bacterial haemoglobins, and mechanisms of transport of, and resistance to, metal ions.
Structural study of proteins and DNA primarily by X-ray crystallography and electron microscopy to gain 3-d insights of biological macromolecules and their assemblies. Structure and function relationships.
Prof David Rice - Harrison Chair in Structural Biology
Protein crystallography, protein crystallization; analysis of sequence homology; molecular graphics; enzyme structure and function; site-directed mutagenesis.
Molecular genetics of filamentous fungi: Antibiotic biosynthesis and its regulation in Aspergillus; genetic control of hyphal growth and polarity; exploitation of fungal genomics.
Unusual aspects of microbiology. Involvement of microorganisms in ME and cancer. Isolation of microorganisms from the stratosphere. History of microbiology and public understanding of science.
The regulation of Gene Expression in mammals. The transport of mRNA from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. Mechanisms of RNA interference. Large scale sequencing and gene function analysis in vertebrates.
