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

Reconstruction by site-directed mutagenesis of the transition state for the activation of tyrosine by the tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase: a mobile loop envelopes the transition state in an induced-fit mechanism.
AR Fersht, JW Knill-Jones, H Bedouelle, G Winter
Biochemistry
(2002)
27
Kinetic characterization of the recombinant ribonuclease from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (barnase) and investigation of key residues in catalysis by site-directed mutagenesis
DE Mossakowska, K Nyberg, AR Fersht
Biochemistry
(2002)
28
Effect of Cavity-Creating Mutations in the Hydrophobic Core of Chymotrypsin Inhibitor 2
SE Jackson, M Moracci, N elMasry, CM Johnson, AR Fersht
Biochemistry
(2002)
32
DETERMINATION OF THE 3-DIMENSIONAL SOLUTION STRUCTURE OF BARNASE USING NUCLEAR-MAGNETIC-RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY
M Bycroft, S Ludvigsen, AR Fersht, FM Poulsen
Biochemistry
(2002)
30
Role of phenylalanine-327 in the closure of loop 6 of ribulosebisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase from Rhodospirillum rubrum.
AG Day, P Chène, AR Fersht
Biochemistry
(2002)
32
Folding of chymotrypsin inhibitor 2. 1. Evidence for a two-state transition.
SE Jackson, AR Fersht
Biochemistry
(2002)
30
Histidine residues at the N- and C-termini of .alpha.-helixes: perturbed pKas and protein stability
J Sancho, L Serrano, AR Fersht
Biochemistry
(2002)
31
Direct observation of complexes formed between recA protein and a fluorescent single-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid derivative.
MS Silver, AR Fersht
Biochemistry
(2002)
21
Relationships between apparent binding energies measured in site-directed mutagenesis experiments and energetics of binding and catalysis
AR Fersht
Biochemistry
(2002)
27
Variants of subtilisin BPN' with altered specificity profiles.
M Rheinnecker, J Eder, PS Pandey, AR Fersht
Biochemistry
(2002)
33