Research in my group can be divided into two areas, although these share a common theme of engineering metal protein interactions in novel ways.
One goal is to engineer novel proteins and polypeptide based assemblies that can be used in molecular electronic devices and nanotechnology in general. This involves understanding, at a fundamental level, how metal cofactors, particularly heme, is delivered to proteins in vivo and, in the case of c-type cytochromes, how heme is covalently attached to protein. It also involves understanding how functional protein units can be assembled into larger nanoscale assemblies that gain function through the proximity of the constituent monomers.
The other goal is to explore the interaction of 4d and 5d tranistion metals with proteins, particularly as a possible route to finding novel medicinal compounds. Specifically, Ruthenium organometallic complexes have shown some potential as anti cancer compounds, but little is understood about how the chemistry of Ruthenium interacts with biomolecules.
Contribution of rotational diffusion to pulsed field gradient diffusion measurements
AJ Baldwin, J Christodoulou, PD Barker, CM Dobson, G Lippens - Journal of Chemical Physics (
2007)
127, 114505
(DOI:
10.1063/1.2759211)
An induced-fit conformational change underlies the binding mechanism of the heme-transport Proteobacteria-protein HemS
M Paoli, S Schneider, K Sharp, P Barker - FASEB JOURNAL (2007) 21, A242
An induced fit conformational change underlies the binding mechanism of the heme transport proteobacteria-protein HemS.
S Schneider, KH Sharp, PD Barker, M Paoli - J Biol Chem (
2006)
281, 32606
(DOI:
10.1074/jbc.M607516200)
Macroscopic 2D networks self-assembled from nanometer-sized protein/DNA complexes
M Manzanera, DJ Frankel, HT Li, DJ Zhou, A Bruckbauer, P Kreutzmann, JM Blackburn, C Abell, T Rayment, D Klenerman, PD Barker - Nano Lett (
2006)
6, 365
(DOI:
10.1021/nl051599+)
Cytochrome display on amyloid fibrils
AJ Baldwin, R Bader, J Christodoulou, CE MacPhee, CM Dobson, PD Barker - Journal of the American Chemical Society (
2006)
128, 2162
(DOI:
10.1021/ja0565673)
Why isn't 'standard' heme good enough for c-type and d i-type cytochromes?
JWA Allen, PD Barker, O Daltrop, JM Stevens, EJ Tomlinson, N Sinha, Y Sambongi, SJ Ferguson - Dalton Transactions (
2005), 3410
(DOI:
10.1039/b508139b)
Controlling self-assembly by linking protein folding, DNA binding, and the redox chemistry of heme.
DD Jones, PD Barker - Angew Chem Int Ed Engl (
2005)
44, 6337
(DOI:
10.1002/anie.200463035)
Effects of heme on the structure of the denatured state and folding kinetics of cytochrome b562
P Garcia, M Bruix, M Rico, S Ciofi-Baffoni, L Banci, MCR Shastry, H Roder, TD Woodyear, CM Johnson, AR Fersht, PD Barker - Journal of Molecular Biology (
2005)
346, 331
(DOI:
10.1016/j.jmb.2004.11.044)
Organisation of recombinant lipid-tagged cytochrome on surface
P Kreutzmann, M Manzanera, J Norris, R Michael, M Moreau, WTS Huck, PD Barker - BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL (2005) 88, 394A
Design and characterisation of an artificial DNA-binding cytochrome.
DD Jones, PD Barker - Chembiochem (
2004)
5, 964
(DOI:
10.1002/cbic.200300569)
