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

DEMONSTRATION OF 2 REACTION PATHWAYS FOR AMINOACYLATION OF TRANSFER-RNA - APPLICATION OF PULSED QUENCHED FLOW TECHNIQUE
AR FERSHT, R JAKES
BIOCHEMISTRY-US
(1975)
14
Catalysis, binding and enzyme-substrate complementarity
AR Fersht
Proc R Soc Lond B Biol Sci
(1974)
187
The charge relay system in chymotrypsin and chymotrypsinogen.
AR Fersht, J Sperling
Journal of molecular biology
(1973)
74
Conformational equilibria in α- and δ-chymotrypsin
AR Fersht
Journal of Molecular Biology
(1972)
64
Conformational equilibria and the salt bridge in chymotrypsin.
AR Fersht
Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol
(1972)
36
Intramolecular catalysis
AJ Kirby, AR Fersht
(1971)
Equilibrium and rate constants for the interconversion of two conformations of α-chymotrypsin The existence of a catalytically inactive conformation at neutral pH
AR Fersht, Y Requena
Journal of molecular biology
(1971)
60
Intramolecular nucleophilic catalysis in the hydrolysis of substituted aspirin acids.
AR Fersht, AJ Kirby
J Am Chem Soc
(1968)
90
INTRAMOLECULAR NUCLEOPHILIC CATALYSIS OF ESTER HYDROLYSIS BY IONIZED CARBOXYL GROUP . HYDROLYSIS OF 3,5-DINITROASPIRIN ANION
AR Fersht, AJ Kirby
Journal of the American Chemical Society
(1968)
90
SERIES NUCLEOPHILIC CATALYSIS IN HYDROLYSIS OF 3-ACETOXYPHTHALATE . INTRAMOLECULAR CATALYSIS OF ESTER HYDROLYSIS BY CARBOXYL GROUP ONCE REMOVED
AR Fersht, AJ Kirby
Journal of the American Chemical Society
(1968)
90