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 of the Pit1 homeodomain near the speed limit
W Banachewicz, CM Johnson, AR Fersht
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
(2010)
108
Electron microscopy studies on the quaternary structure of p53 reveal different binding modes for p53 tetramers in complex with DNA
NA Drake, RM Blench, SJ Armitage, CS Bristow, KH White
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
(2010)
108
A single-molecule characterization of p53 search on DNA
A Tafvizi, F Huang, AR Fersht, LA Mirny, AM van Oijen
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
(2010)
108
Electron microscopy studies on the quaternary structure of p53 reveal different binding modes for p53 tetramers in complex with DNA.
R Melero, S Rajagopalan, M Lázaro, AC Joerger, T Brandt, DB Veprintsev, G Lasso, D Gil, SHW Scheres, JM Carazo, AR Fersht, M Valle
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
(2010)
108
Time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering study of the folding dynamics of barnase.
T Konuma, T Kimura, S Matsumoto, Y Goto, T Fujisawa, AR Fersht, S Takahashi
Journal of Molecular Biology
(2010)
405
Kinetics of chain motions within a protein-folding intermediate
H Neuweiler, W Banachewicz, AR Fersht
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
(2010)
107
Stabilization of mutant p53 via alkylation of cysteines and effects on DNA binding
JL Kaar, N Basse, AC Joerger, E Stephens, TJ Rutherford, AR Fersht
Protein Science
(2010)
19
Single-Molecule characterization of oligomerization kinetics and equilibria of the tumor suppressor p53.
S Rajagopalan, F Huang, AR Fersht
Nucleic acids research
(2010)
39
Phosphotriesterase variants with high methylphosphonatase activity and strong negative trade-off against phosphotriesters.
L Briseño-Roa, CM Timperley, AD Griffiths, AR Fersht
Protein engineering, design & selection : PEDS
(2010)
24
Carboxyl pKa Values and Acid Denaturation of BBL
E Arbely, TJ Rutherford, H Neuweiler, TD Sharpe, N Ferguson, AR Fersht
J Mol Biol
(2010)
403