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Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry

 

Professor Tuomas Knowles

Portrait of tpjk2

Professor of Physical Chemistry and Biophysics

Our research

We study the physical and chemical aspects of the behaviour of biopolymers and other soft systems. Much of our work has been focused on the physical aspects underlying the self-assembly of protein molecules. Self-organisation is the driving force generating complex matter in nature, and the process by which the machinery providing functionality in living systems is assembled. The goal of our research is to understand the physical and chemical factors which control the structures and dynamics of biomolecular assemblies, and the connections between the nanoscale characteristics of the component molecules and the physical properties of large-scale assemblies and their behaviour on a mesoscopic to macroscopic scale. The techniques used in our laboratory include biosensors, optical lithography, microfluidic devices and scanning probe microscopy and spectroscopy. We work both with natural and synthetic polymers and our interests range from fundamental chemical physics to technological applications in material science and molecular medicine.

Watch Professor Knowles discuss his research

Take a tour of the Sir Rodney Sweetnam laboratory

Publications

Bioprinting microporous functional living materials from protein-based core-shell microgels.
Y Ou, S Cao, Y Zhang, H Zhu, C Guo, W Yan, F Xin, W Dong, Y Zhang, M Narita, Z Yu, TPJ Knowles
– Nature Communications
(2023)
14,
322
(DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35140-5)
Enhanced surface nanoanalytics of transient biomolecular processes.
A Miller, S Chia, Z Toprakcioglu, T Hakala, R Schmid, Y Feng, T Kartanas, A Kamada, M Vendruscolo, FS Ruggeri, TPJ Knowles
– Science advances
(2023)
9,
eabq3151
(DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abq3151)
A Kinetic Map of the Influence of Biomimetic Lipid Model Membranes on A beta 42 Aggregation
KN Baumann, G Šneiderienė, M Sanguanini, M Schneider, O Rimon, A González Díaz, H Greer, D Thacker, S Linse, TPJ Knowles, M Vendruscolo
– ACS Chem Neurosci
(2022)
14,
323
(DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.2c00765)
Biomolecular condensate phase diagrams with a combinatorial microdroplet platform
WE Arter, R Qi, NA Erkamp, G Krainer, K Didi, TJ Welsh, J Acker, J Nixon-Abell, S Qamar, J Guillén-Boixet, TM Franzmann, D Kuster, AA Hyman, A Borodavka, PS George-Hyslop, S Alberti, TPJ Knowles
– Nature communications
(2022)
13,
7845
(DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35265-7)
Perphenazine-Macrocycle Conjugates Rapidly Sequester the Aβ42 Monomer and Prevent Formation of Toxic Oligomers and Amyloid
SR Ball, JSP Adamson, MA Sullivan, MR Zimmermann, V Lo, M Sanz-Hernandez, X Jiang, AH Kwan, ADJ McKenzie, EL Werry, TPJ Knowles, M Kassiou, G Meisl, MH Todd, PJ Rutledge, M Sunde
– ACS Chemical Neuroscience
(2022)
14,
87
(DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.2c00498)
Microfluidics for multiscale studies of biomolecular condensates.
NA Erkamp, R Qi, TJ Welsh, TPJ Knowles
– Lab Chip
(2022)
23,
9
(DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00622g)
Selenium Silk Nanostructured Films for Antifungal and Antibacterial Treatments
Z Toprakcioglu, E Wiita, A Jayaram, R Gregory, T Knowles
(2022)
(DOI: 10.1101/2022.12.18.520325)
The Chromatin Regulator HMGA1a Undergoes Phase Separation in the Nucleus.
H Zhu, M Narita, JA Joseph, G Krainer, WE Arter, I Olan, KL Saar, N Ermann, JR Espinosa, Y Shen, MA Kuri, R Qi, TJ Welsh, R Collepardo-Guevara, M Narita, TPJ Knowles
– ChemBioChem
(2022)
24,
e202200450
(DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202200450)
Core-Shell Spheroid-Laden Microgels Crosslinked under Biocompatible Conditions for Probing Cancer-Stromal Communication
H Zhu, LWY Roode, AJ Parry, NA Erkamp, M Rodriguez-Garcia, M Narita, Y Shen, Y Ou, Z Toprakcioglu, M Narita, TPJ Knowles
– Advanced NanoBiomed Research
(2022)
2,
2200138
(DOI: 10.1002/anbr.202200138)
Serological fingerprints link antiviral activity of therapeutic antibodies to affinity and concentration.
S Fiedler, SRA Devenish, AS Morgunov, A Ilsley, F Ricci, M Emmenegger, V Kosmoliaptsis, ES Theel, JR Mills, AM Sholukh, A Aguzzi, A Iwasaki, AK Lynn, TPJ Knowles
– Scientific reports
(2022)
12,
19791
(DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-22214-z)
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Research Groups

Research Interest Groups

Telephone number

01223 336344

Email address

tpjk2@cam.ac.uk

College

St John's College

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    About the University

    Research at Cambridge