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Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry

 

Professor of Physical Chemistry and Biophysics

1920 Professor of Physical Chemistry

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

Formation of Nanofibrillar Self-Healing Hydrogels Using Antimicrobial Peptides.
EG Wiita, Z Toprakcioglu, AK Jayaram, TPJ Knowles
– ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
(2024)
16,
46167
Differential interactions determine anisotropies at interfaces of RNA-based biomolecular condensates
NA Erkamp, M Farag, Y Qiu, D Qian, T Sneideris, T Wu, TJ Welsh, H Ausserwӧger, TJ Krug, DA Weitz, M Lew, TPJ Knowles, RV Pappu
(2024)
a-Synuclein oligomers form by secondary nucleation
CK Xu, G Meisl, EA Andrzejewska, G Krainer, AJ Dear, M Castellana-Cruz, S Turi, IA Edu, G Vivacqua, RPB Jacquat, WE Arter, MG Spillantini, M Vendruscolo, S Linse, TPJ Knowles
– Nature Communications
(2024)
15,
7083
Dominance analysis to assess solute contributions to multicomponent phase equilibria.
D Qian, H Ausserwoger, T Sneideris, M Farag, RV Pappu, TPJ Knowles
– Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
(2024)
121,
e2407453121
Thermodynamic profiles for cotranslational trigger factor substrate recognition
TW Herling, AME Cassaignau, AS Wentink, QAE Peter, PC Kumar, T Kartanas, MM Schneider, LD Cabrita, J Christodoulou, TPJ Knowles
– Science advances
(2024)
10,
eadn4824
Protein Condensate Atlas from predictive models of heteromolecular condensate composition
KL Saar, RM Scrutton, K Bloznelyte, AS Morgunov, LL Good, AA Lee, SA Teichmann, TPJ Knowles
– Nature Communications
(2024)
15,
5418
Protein Condensate Atlas from predictive models of heteromolecular condensate composition
KL Saar, RM Scrutton, K Bloznelyte, AS Morgunov, LL Good, AA Lee, SA Teichmann, TPJ Knowles
– Nature communications
(2024)
15,
5418
Biomolecular condensates are characterized by interphase electric potentials.
AE Posey, A Bremer, NA Erkamp, A Pant, TPJ Knowles, Y Dai, T Mittag, RV Pappu
(2024)
α-synuclein oligomers displace monomeric α-synuclein from lipid membranes
G Šneiderienė, MA Czekalska, CK Xu, AK Jayaram, G Krainer, WE Arter, QAE Peter, M Castellana-Cruz, KL Saar, A Levin, T Mueller, S Fiedler, SRA Devenish, H Fiegler, JR Kumita, TPJ Knowles
– ACS Nano
(2024)
18,
17469
Hierarchical Protofilament Intertwining Rules the Formation of Mixed‐Curvature Amyloid Polymorphs
J Zhou, S Assenza, M Tatli, J Tian, IM Ilie, EL Starostin, A Caflisch, TPJ Knowles, G Dietler, FS Ruggeri, H Stahlberg, SK Sekatskii, R Mezzenga
– Adv Sci (Weinh)
(2024)
11,
2402740
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Research Interest Groups

Telephone number

01223 336344

Email address

tpjk2@cam.ac.uk