Discovery of novel circular proteins in bacteria, plants and animals: applications in drug design and crop protection. The overall goal is to use innovative methods in chemistry, biochemistry and molecular biology to determine the structures and functions of several families of circular proteins that have exciting pharmaceutical and agricultural applications. These molecules differ from conventional proteins in that they have no ends: their termini are seamlessly joined, thereby making them exce ....Discovery of novel circular proteins in bacteria, plants and animals: applications in drug design and crop protection. The overall goal is to use innovative methods in chemistry, biochemistry and molecular biology to determine the structures and functions of several families of circular proteins that have exciting pharmaceutical and agricultural applications. These molecules differ from conventional proteins in that they have no ends: their termini are seamlessly joined, thereby making them exceptionally stable and resistant to enzyme digestion. The big question is ?How and why does Nature produce circular proteins?" Increasing our knowledge of why circular proteins have evolved will facilitate their applications in drug design and in the development of novel insecticides.Read moreRead less
The hidden secondary metabolite biosynthetic potential of fungi. This proposal aims to develop synthetic biology tools to allow rapid access to the hidden metabolites encoded in fungal genomes and discover how they interact with plant and animal hosts. Genome sequencing reveals that fungi harbour vast hidden potential for biosynthesis of bioactive small molecules. The lack of tools to efficiently access this hidden potential has hindered the ability to develop this uncharted chemical diversity f ....The hidden secondary metabolite biosynthetic potential of fungi. This proposal aims to develop synthetic biology tools to allow rapid access to the hidden metabolites encoded in fungal genomes and discover how they interact with plant and animal hosts. Genome sequencing reveals that fungi harbour vast hidden potential for biosynthesis of bioactive small molecules. The lack of tools to efficiently access this hidden potential has hindered the ability to develop this uncharted chemical diversity for pharmaceutics and agriculture, and understand their biological roles in pathogens. Expected outcomes include sources of bioactive molecules and better management of fungal diseases in crops and humans.Read moreRead less
Identification of the molecular targets on filamentous fungi that lead to specific recognition and killing by an antifungal plant defensin. Tobacco flowers naturally produce potent antifungal molecules for protection against disease. The purpose of this project is to understand why these molecules are so toxic to fungal pathogens with a view to using them for control of fungal diseases in crops and humans.