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

Folding & design: Introduction to a new journal
AR Fersht, FE Cohen
FOLD DES
(1996)
1
Folding & Design: introduction to a new journal
AR Fersht, FE Cohen
Fold Des
(1996)
1
Pathways of protein folding
AR Fersht
PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(1996)
65
CONFORMATIONAL PATHWAY OF THE POLYPEPTIDE-CHAIN OF CHYMOTRYPSIN INHIBITOR-2 GROWING FROM ITS N-TERMINUS IN-VITRO - PARALLELS WITH THE PROTEIN-FOLDING PATHWAY
G de Prat Gay, J Ruiz-Sanz, JL Neira, FJ Corrales, DE Otzen, AG Ladurner, AR Fersht
J Mol Biol
(1995)
254
Perturbed pKA-values in the denatured states of proteins.
YJ Tan, M Oliveberg, B Davis, AR Fersht
Journal of molecular biology
(1995)
254
A comparison of the pH, urea, and temperature-denatured states of barnase by heteronuclear NMR: implications for the initiation of protein folding.
VL Arcus, S Vuilleumier, SM Freund, M Bycroft, AR Fersht
Journal of molecular biology
(1995)
254
The Structure of the Transition State for Folding of Chymotrypsin Inhibitor 2 Analysed by Protein Engineering Methods: Evidence for a Nucleation-condensation Mechanism for Protein Folding
LS Itzhaki, DE Otzen, AR Fersht
Journal of molecular biology
(1995)
254
Search for nucleation sites in smaller fragments of chymotrypsin inhibitor 2.
LS Itzhaki, JL Neira, J Ruiz-Sanz, G de Prat Gay, AR Fersht
Journal of Molecular Biology
(1995)
254
Optimization of rates of protein folding: the nucleation-condensation mechanism and its implications.
AR Fersht
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
(1995)
92
Submillisecond events in protein folding.
B Nölting, R Golbik, AR Fersht
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
(1995)
92