Our major research programme concerns the folding, stability and activity of proteins. We apply a broad multi-disciplinary approach that combines methods and ideas of molecular biology and physical-organic chemistry. We use techniques including protein engineering, DNA cloning, sequencing and mutagenesis, cell culture, gene and peptide synthesis, spectroscopy, rapid reaction techniques, multi-dimensional NMR (we have a 500, 600, 700 and an 800 MHz spectrometers) and x-ray protein crystallography.

Current major projects include: protein folding, misfolding and disease; drug discovery; and structure-activity relationships of proteins involved in cancer and disease.

Although now emeritus, I am still fully active in research with long term funding, including an MRC Programme Grant.

Publications

Targeting mutant p53 with PK11007: A new approach for the treatment of patients with triple-negative breast cancer?
NC Synnott, MR Bauer, SF Madden, AM Murray, R Klinger, N O'Donovan, D O'Connor, WM Gallagher, J Crown, AR Fersht, MJ Duffy
Journal of Clinical Oncology
(2017)
35
Structures of closed and open conformations of dimeric human ATM
D Baretić, HK Pollard, DI Fisher, CM Johnson, B Santhanam, CM Truman, T Kouba, AR Fersht, C Phillips, RL Williams
Science Advances
(2017)
3
Multisite aggregation of p53 and implications for drug rescue
GZ Wang, AR Fersht
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
(2017)
114
Design of a molecular support for cryo-EM structure determination
TG Martin, TAM Bharat, AC Joerger, X-C Bai, F Praetorius, AR Fersht, H Dietz, SHW Scheres
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
(2016)
113
2-Sulfonylpyrimidines: Mild alkylating agents with anticancer activity toward p53-compromised cells.
MR Bauer, AC Joerger, AR Fersht
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
(2016)
113
An in silico algorithm for identifying stabilizing pockets in proteins: test case, the Y220C mutant of the p53 tumor suppressor protein
D Bromley, MR Bauer, AR Fersht, V Daggett
Protein Eng Des Sel
(2016)
29
Harnessing Fluorine-Sulfur Contacts and Multipolar Interactions for the Design of p53 Mutant Y220C Rescue Drugs
MR Bauer, RN Jones, MGJ Baud, R Wilcken, FM Boeckler, AR Fersht, AC Joerger, J Spencer
ACS chemical biology
(2016)
11
The p53 Pathway: Origins, Inactivation in Cancer, and Emerging Therapeutic Approaches.
AC Joerger, AR Fersht
Annu Rev Biochem
(2016)
85
Exploiting Transient Protein States for the Design of Small-Molecule Stabilizers of Mutant p53.
AC Joerger, MR Bauer, R Wilcken, MGJ Baud, H Harbrecht, TE Exner, FM Boeckler, J Spencer, AR Fersht
Structure (London, England : 1993)
(2015)
23
Experimental and Theoretical Evaluation of the Ethynyl Moiety as a Halogen Bioisostere
R Wilcken, MO Zimmermann, MR Bauer, TJ Rutherford, AR Fersht, AC Joerger, FM Boeckler
ACS chemical biology
(2015)
10