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

Enzyme hyperspecificity. Rejection of threonine by the valyl-tRNA synthetase by misacylation and hydrolytic editing
AR Fersht, MM Kaethner
Biochemistry
(2002)
15
Tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase from Escherichia coli. Stoichiometry of ligand binding and half-of-the-sites reactivity in aminoacylation.
R Jakes, AR Fersht
Biochemistry
(2002)
14
Metal ion dependence of phosphorothioate ATP analogues in the Bacillus stearothermophilus tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase reaction.
GA Garcia, RJ Leatherbarrow, F Eckstein, AR Fersht
Biochemistry
(2002)
29
Sequential assignment of the proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum of barnase
M Bycroft, RN Sheppard, FT Lau, AR Fersht
Biochemistry
(2002)
29
Leaving group specificity in the chymotrypsin-catalyzed hydrolysis of peptides. Stereochemical interpretation
AR Fersht, DM Blow, J Fastrez
Biochemistry
(2002)
12
Establishing the misacylation/deacylation of the tRNA pathway for the editing mechanism of prokaryotic and eukaryotic valyl-tRNA synthetases
AR Fersht, C Dingwall
Biochemistry
(2002)
18
Influence of globin structure on the state of the heme. II. Allosteric transitions in methemoglobin
MF Perutz, AR Fersht, SR Simon, GC Roberts
Biochemistry
(2002)
13
INVESTIGATION OF TRANSITION-STATE STABILIZATION BY RESIDUES HISTIDINE-45 AND THREONINE-40 IN THE TYROSYL-TRANSFER RNA-SYNTHETASE
RJ Leatherbarrow, AR Fersht
Biochemistry
(2002)
26
ASSIGNMENT OF HISTIDINE RESONANCES IN THE H-1-NMR (500 MHZ) SPECTRUM OF SUBTILISIN BPN' USING SITE-DIRECTED MUTAGENESIS
M Bycroft, AR Fersht
Biochemistry
(2002)
27
Energetics of complementary side-chain packing in a protein hydrophobic core.
JT Kellis, K Nyberg, AR Fersht
Biochemistry
(2002)
28