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
- M. Madan Babu - Regulatory Genomics and Systems Biology
- David Barford - Molecular mechanisms of the anaphase-promoting complex and the mitotic checkpoint
- Mark van Breugel - Structure and assembly mechanisms of centrioles
- John Briggs - Enveloped viruses and coated vesicles - cryo-electron microscopy and tomography
- Andrew Carter - The structure and mechanism of dynein
- Paula da Fonseca - Structure and function of cell regulatory protein complexes
- Julian Gough - Computational Genomics
- Richard Henderson - High resolution 3D structures by electron cryomicroscopy
- Andrew Leslie - Structural studies of macromolecules
- Jan Löwe - The bacterial cytoskeleton
- Garib Murshudov - Computational structural biology
- Kiyoshi Nagai - CryoEM, crystallographic and biochemical studies of the spliceosome
- David Neuhaus - Solution structure by NMR spectroscopy
- Lori Passmore - Molecular machines that regulate mRNA polyA tails
- Venki Ramakrishnan - Structure of the translational apparatus
- Christopher Russo - Atomic resolution imaging of biological specimen by electron cryomicroscopy
- Sjors Scheres - Visualising molecular machines in action
- Chris Tate - Structure determination of integral membrane proteins
Scientific Facilities within the Division
Emeritus Scientists
- Brad Amos - Optical microscope development
- Cyrus Chothia - The protein origins of biological complexity
- Tony Crowther - Structure of macromolecule assemblies
- Phil Evans - Structural studies of endocytosis components
- John Kendrick-Jones - Multi-functional myosin motors
- Daniela Rhodes - Chromatin and telomere structure
- Murray Stewart - Nuclear transport
Past Group Leaders
- 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:
Jan Löwe and David Barford
Divisional Administrator:
Jennie Lightfoot
Assistant Divisional Administrator:
Jonathan Last
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