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Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry

 

Professor Michele Vendruscolo

Professor of Biophysics

Our research

In the last 15 years our research has been focused on the development of methods of characterising the structure, dynamics and interactions of proteins in previously inaccessible states. These methods are based on the use of experimental data, in particular from nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, as structural restraints in molecular dynamics simulations. Through this approach it is possible to obtain information about a variety of protein conformations, as for example those populated during the folding process, and about protein interactions in complex environments, including those generating aggregate species that are associated with neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

Application to neurodegenerative diseases

More recently, these studies have led us to investigate the physico-chemical principles of proteins homeostasis and their application to the development of therapeutic strategies against neurodegenerative diseases. Starting from the observation that proteins are expressed in the cell at levels close to their solubility limits, we are developing approaches to prevent or delay misfolding disorders based on the enhancement of our quality control mechanisms against protein aggregation.

Watch Professor Vendruscolo discuss his research

Take a tour of the Una Finlay Laboratory in the Centre for Misfolding Diseases

Publications

CryoENsemble - a Bayesian approach for reweighting biomolecular structural ensembles using heterogeneous cryo-EM maps
T Włodarski, J Streit, A Mitropoulou, L Cabrita, M Vendruscolo, J Christodoulou
(2023)
(doi: 10.1101/2023.11.21.567999)
Sequence-based prediction of the intrinsic solubility of peptides containing non-natural amino acids.
M Oeller, RJD Kang, HL Bolt, AL Gomes Dos Santos, AL Weinmann, A Nikitidis, P Zlatoidsky, W Su, W Czechtizky, L De Maria, P Sormanni, M Vendruscolo
– Nature Communications
(2023)
14,
7475
(doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-42940-w)
Multiplexed Digital Characterization of Misfolded Protein Oligomers via Solid-State Nanopores
SE Sandler, RI Horne, S Rocchetti, R Novak, N-S Hsu, M Castellana Cruz, Z Faidon Brotzakis, RC Gregory, S Chia, GJL Bernardes, UF Keyser, M Vendruscolo
– Journal of the American Chemical Society
(2023)
145,
25776
(doi: 10.1021/jacs.3c09335)
Multiomic prediction of therapeutic targets for human diseases associated with protein phase separation
CM Lim, A González Díaz, M Fuxreiter, FW Pun, A Zhavoronkov, M Vendruscolo
– Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
(2023)
120,
e2300215120
(doi: 10.1073/pnas.2300215120)
Multi-omic prediction of therapeutic targets for human diseases associated with protein phase separation
M Vendruscolo, C Lim, A González Díaz, M Fuxreiter, F Pun, A Zhavoronkov
– Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of USA
(2023)
(doi: 10.1073/pnas.2300215120)
Pharmacological inhibition of α-synuclein aggregation within liquid condensates
M Vendruscolo, S Dada, Z Toprakcioglu, M Hardenberg, M Cali, L Mrugalla, O Morris, A Roentgen, T Knowles
(2023)
(doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3174399/v1)
Secondary Processes Dominate the Quiescent, Spontaneous Aggregation of α-Synuclein at Physiological pH with Sodium Salts
RI Horne, MA Metrick, W Man, DJ Rinauro, ZF Brotzakis, S Chia, G Meisl, M Vendruscolo
– ACS Chemical Neuroscience
(2023)
14,
3125
(doi: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00282)
Multiplexed Digital Characterisation of Misfolded Protein Oligomers via Solid-State Nanopores
S Sandler, R Horne, S Rocchetti, R Novak, N-S Hsu, MC Cruz, F Brotzakis, R Gregory, S Chia, G Bernardes, U Keyser, M Vendruscolo
(2023)
(doi: 10.1101/2023.08.09.552642)
Targeted protein editing with an antibody-based system
O Rimon, J Konc, VR Chowdhury, G Bernardes, M Vendruscolo
(2023)
(doi: 10.1101/2023.07.28.551006)
Determination of the Structure and Dynamics of the Fuzzy Coat of an Amyloid Fibril of IAPP Using Cryo-Electron Microscopy
Z Faidon Brotzakis, T Löhr, S Truong, S Hoff, M Bonomi, M Vendruscolo
– Biochemistry
(2023)
62,
2407
(doi: 10.1021/acs.biochem.3c00010)
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Telephone number

01223 763873

Email address

mv245@cam.ac.uk

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