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

Direct observation of better hydration at the N terminus of an alpha-helix with glycine rather than alanine as the N-cap residue.
Y Harpaz, N Elmasry, AR Fersht, K Henrick
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
(1994)
91
Editorial overview
AR Fersht, KA Dill
Current Opinion in Structural Biology
(1994)
4
Contribution of a proline residue and a salt bridge to the stability of a type I reverse turn in chymotrypsin inhibitor-2.
G de Prat Gay, CM Johnson, AR Fersht
Protein Engineering Design and Selection
(1994)
7
Contribution of buried hydrogen bonds to protein stability. The crystal structures of two barnase mutants.
YW Chen, AR Fersht, K Henrick
Journal of Molecular Biology
(1993)
234
Crystal structural analysis of mutations in the hydrophobic cores of barnase.
AM Buckle, K Henrick, AR Fersht
Journal of molecular biology
(1993)
234
Local breathing and global unfolding in hydrogen exchange of barnase and its relationship to protein folding pathways
J Clarke, AM Hounslow, M Bycroft, AR Fersht
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
(1993)
90
Refolding of barnase mutants and pro-barnase in the presence and absence of GroEL.
TE Gray, J Eder, M Bycroft, AG Day, AR Fersht
The EMBO Journal
(1993)
12
THE REFOLDING OF CIS-PEPTIDYLPROLYL AND TRANS-PEPTIDYLPROLYL ISOMERS OF BARSTAR
G SCHREIBER, AR FERSHT
BIOCHEMISTRY
(1993)
32
Protein stability: experimental data from protein engineering
AR Fersht, SE Jackson, L Serrano
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series A: Physical and Engineering Sciences
(1993)
345
Assignment of the backbone 1H and 15N NMR resonances and secondary structure characterization of barstar
MJ Lubienski, M Bycroft, DNM Jones, AR Fersht
FEBS Letters
(1993)
332