Structural Studies Division

The Division of Structural Studies seeks to understand the structure, function and interactions of biologically important molecules at the atomic, molecular and supramolecular level. The analytical methods employed include X-ray crystallography, NMR, electron microscopy and computational and theoretical studies, allied to biochemical and molecular biological approaches. Particular biological areas of focus include protein-nucleic acid complexes, molecules involved in cellular transport or motility, membrane proteins and structures associated with human disease. There is an increasing emphasis on analysis, interpretation and use of the wealth of data rapidly accruing from the multiple genome sequencing projects. There is a continuing development of computational techniques and instrumentation, where these are essential for scientific progress.

Group Leaders and MRC Investigators

• David Barford - Mechanism and regulation of chromosome segregation in mitosis
• John Briggs - Enveloped viruses and coated vesicles - electron cryo-microscopy and tomography
• Andrew Carter - The structure and mechanism of dynein
• Julian Gough - Computational genomics
• Richard Henderson - High resolution 3D structures by electron cryo-microscopy
• Jan Löwe - The bacterial cytoskeleton and other molecular machines
• Garib Murshudov - Computational structural biology
• Kiyoshi Nagai (1949-2019) - Cryo-EM and biochemical studies of the spliceosome
• David Neuhaus - Solution structure by NMR spectroscopy
• Kelly Nguyen - Molecular mechanism of telomere maintenance and the roles of telomeres in human diseases
• Lori Passmore - Molecular Machines that regulate gene expression
• Venki Ramakrishnan - Structure of the translational apparatus
• Christopher Russo - Atomic resolution imaging of biological specimen by electron cryomicroscopy
• Sjors Scheres - Visualising proteins in health and disease
• Chris Tate - Structure and function of G protein-coupled receptors

Scientific Facilities within the Division

• Crystallisation and X-ray
• Electron Microscopy
• NMR
• Scientific Computing
• Workshops

Emeritus

• Brad Amos - Optical microscope development
• Tony Crowther - Structure of macromolecule assemblies
• Phil Evans - Structural studies of endocytosis components
• John Kendrick-Jones - Multi-functional myosin motors
• Andrew Leslie - Structural studies of macromolecules
• Daniela Rhodes - Chromatin and telomere structure
• Murray Stewart - Nuclear transport

Past Group Leaders

• M. Madan Babu - Moved to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, July 2020
• Mark van Breugel - Moved to Queen Mary, University of London, March 2020.
• Paula da Fonseca - Moved to University of Glasgow, Institute of Molecular Cell and Systems Biology, April 2020
• Meindert Lamers - Moved to Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC), October 2017
• Alexey Murzin - continues to work on the SCOP database in association with Julian Gough.

Joint Heads of Division:
David Barford and Sjors Scheres

Divisional Administrator:
Jennie Lightfoot

Assistant Divisional Administrator:
Georgia Ntatsiou

Division of Structural Studies,
MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology,

Francis Crick Avenue,
Cambridge Biomedical Campus,
Cambridge CB2 0QH,
UK.

Tel: +44 (0) 1223 267080
Fax: +44 (0) 1223 268305