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

In Vivo Translation Rates Can Substantially Delay the Co-Translational Folding of the E. Coli Cytosolic Proteome

P Ciryam, RI Morimoto, M Vendruscolo, CM Dobson, EP O'Brien

Biophysical Journal

(2013)

104

578A

(doi: 10.1016/j.bpj.2012.11.3207)

Characterization of Free Energy Landscapes of Proteins using NMR Spectroscopy

M Vendruscolo

Biophysical Journal

(2013)

104

45A

(doi: 10.1016/j.bpj.2012.11.287)

In vivo translation rates can substantially delay the cotranslational folding of the Escherichia coli cytosolic proteome.

P Ciryam, RI Morimoto, M Vendruscolo, CM Dobson, EP O'Brien

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

(2012)

110

E132

(doi: 10.1073/pnas.1213624110)

A Rationally Designed Six-Residue Swap Generates Comparability in the Aggregation Behavior of α‑Synuclein and β‑Synuclein

C Roodveldt, A Andersson, EJ De Genst, A Labrador-Garrido, AK Buell, CM Dobson, GG Tartaglia, M Vendruscolo

Biochemistry

(2012)

8771

(doi: 10.1021/bi300558q)

Twisting transition between crystalline and fibrillar phases of aggregated peptides.

TPJ Knowles, A De Simone, AW Fitzpatrick, A Baldwin, S Meehan, L Rajah, M Vendruscolo, ME Welland, CM Dobson, EM Terentjev

Physical Review Letters

(2012)

109

158101

(doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.109.158101)

In support of the BMRB.

JL Markley, H Akutsu, T Asakura, M Baldus, R Boelens, A Bonvin, R Kaptein, A Bax, I Bezsonova, MR Gryk, JC Hoch, DM Korzhnev, MW Maciejewski, D Case, WJ Chazin, TA Cross, S Dames, H Kessler, O Lange, T Madl, B Reif, M Sattler, D Eliezer, A Fersht, J Forman-Kay, LE Kay, J Fraser, J Gross, T Kortemme, A Sali, T Fujiwara, K Gardner, X Luo, J Rizo-Rey, M Rosen, RR Gil, C Ho, G Rule, AM Gronenborn, R Ishima, J Klein-Seetharaman, P Tang, P van der Wel, Y Xu, S Grzesiek, S Hiller, J Seelig, ED Laue, H Mott, D Nietlispach, I Barsukov, L-Y Lian, D Middleton, T Blumenschein, G Moore, I Campbell, J Schnell, IJ Vakonakis, A Watts, MR Conte, J Mason, M Pfuhl, MR Sanderson, J Craven, M Williamson, C Dominguez, G Roberts, U Günther, M Overduin, J Werner, P Williamson, C Blindauer, M Crump, P Driscoll, T Frenkiel, A Golovanov, S Matthews, J Parkinson, D Uhrin, M Williams, D Neuhaus, H Oschkinat, A Ramos, DE Shaw, C Steinbeck, M Vendruscolo, GW Vuister, KJ Walters, H Weinstein, K Wüthrich, S Yokoyama

Nature structural & molecular biology

(2012)

854

(doi: 10.1038/nsmb.2371)

From macroscopic measurements to microscopic mechanisms of protein aggregation

SIA Cohen, M Vendruscolo, CM Dobson, TPJ Knowles

Journal of Molecular Biology

(2012)

421

160

(doi: 10.1016/j.jmb.2012.02.031)

Sequence-based prediction of protein solubility

F Agostini, M Vendruscolo, GG Tartaglia

Journal of Molecular Biology

(2012)

421

237

(doi: 10.1016/j.jmb.2011.12.005)

ADP ribosylation adapts an ER chaperone response to short-term fluctuations in unfolded protein load.

JE Chambers, K Petrova, G Tomba, M Vendruscolo, D Ron

Journal of Cell Biology

(2012)

198

371

(doi: 10.1083/jcb.201202005)

Determination of structural fluctuations of proteins from structure-based calculations of residual dipolar couplings

RW Montalvao, A De Simone, M Vendruscolo

Journal of Biomolecular NMR

(2012)

281

(doi: 10.1007/s10858-012-9644-3)

Professor Michele Vendruscolo

Professor Michele Vendruscolo

Professor of Biophysics

Our research

Application to neurodegenerative diseases

Watch Professor Vendruscolo discuss his research

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

Publications

Research Groups

Research Interest Groups

Telephone number

Email address

About the Department

Departmental Services

Study at Cambridge

About the University

Research at Cambridge