Our research is focussed on the exciting interface between chemistry and biology. This area of research is crucial for understanding both the molecular basis of biological phenomena and for the utilisation of biological materials.
Projects usually start with structure determination using diffraction techniques.
Following this, structures are used to rationalise protein behaviour and to design experiments that further probe the intimate relationship between structure and function. These second generation experiments can involve other physical techniques as well as techniques based upon chemical and biological methods. Besides trying to understand the relationship between protein structure and function, the Group has a growing interest in the fast developing area of protein engineering. The aim of this work is to modify existing proteins or to design new proteins that will prove to be useful industrial or commercial reagents. The highlights of the Protein Crystallography and Engineering Group's activities include the structure determination of the GlnK protein which is used by bacteria in the regulation of nitrogen uptake.