Biochemistry and Cell Biology

The Biochemistry and Cell Biology Research Theme is headed by Professor Richard Cogdell FRS, and includes the following disciplines:

Protein Science

This group is mainly interested in understanding the molecular details of how proteins function. They combine structural studies, using our own high-field NMR facility and X-ray crystallography in collaboration with Professor Neil Isaacs in Chemistry, with a wide array of functional studies. The main proteins under study include several membrane proteins, such as photosynthetic light-harvesting complexes, reaction centres and G-protein coupled receptors. Also under study are multi-enzyme complexes such as pyruvate dehydrogenase and oxoglutarate dehydrogenase, and enzymes of the Shikimate pathway. The work also involves a significant bioinformatics element that aims to identify new structural motifs.

The work of the group is underpinned by a wide range of biophysical equipment, including a 600MHz NMR spectrometer and cryoprobe, a fully equipped X-ray crystallography suite, molecular graphics facilities, CD and fluorescence spectroscopy, MALDI-ToF and electrospray mass spectrometry, and facilities for large-scale over-expression of proteins. This group is well supported by grants from BBSRC, Wellcome Trust, EU and Industry. For information on the activities of the members of this group, follow the links below to the staff home pages.

Cell Biology

Housed within the recently refurbished Henry Wellcome Laboratory of Cell Biology, the Glasgow Cell Biology group consists of some 25 scientists. Supported by state-of-the-art facilities and grant income of almost £4 million, our research is directed toward a molecular understanding of fundamental areas of cell biology including membrane traffic, cytokinesis and compartmentalisation of cellular signalling. To this end, we utilise a number of experimental systems including yeast, flies and mammalian cells.

Centre for Cell Engineering

The CCE is an interdisciplinary centre to investigate and exploit the use of nano- and microstructured surfaces (chemically, topographically,
mechanically) and three-dimensional scaffolds in cell biology and tissue engineering.