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Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry

 

Professor Tuomas Knowles

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

Surface-Catalyzed Secondary Nucleation Dominates the Generation of Toxic IAPP Aggregates
DC Rodriguez Camargo, S Chia, J Menzies, B Mannini, G Meisl, M Lundqvist, C Pohl, K Bernfur, V Lattanzi, J Habchi, SI Cohen, TPJ Knowles, M Vendruscolo, S Linse
– Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences
(2021)
8,
757425
(doi: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.757425)
In vivo rate-determining steps of tau seed accumulation in Alzheimer's disease
G Meisl, E Hidari, K Allinson, T Rittman, SL DeVos, JS Sanchez, CK Xu, KE Duff, KA Johnson, JB Rowe, BT Hyman, TPJ Knowles, D Klenerman
– Sci Adv
(2021)
7,
eabh1448
(doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abh1448)
Kinetic and Thermodynamic Driving Factors in the Assembly of Phenylalanine-Based Modules
D Zaguri, MR Zimmermann, G Meisl, A Levin, S Rencus-Lazar, TPJ Knowles, E Gazit
– ACS nano
(2021)
15,
18305
(doi: 10.1021/acsnano.1c07537)
From Protein Building Blocks to Functional Materials
Y Shen, T Knowles, A Levin, Z Toprakcioglu, M Rodriguez-Garcia, A Kamada, Y Xu
– ACS Nano
(2021)
15,
5819
(doi: 10.1021/acsnano.0c08510)
The chromatin regulator HMGA1a undergoes phase separation in the nucleus
H Zhu, M Narita, J Joseph, G Krainer, W Arter, I Olan, K Saar, N Ermann, J Espinosa, Y Shen, MA Kuri, R Qi, T Welsh, Y Xu, R Collepardo-Guevara, M Narita, T Knowles
(2021)
2021.10.14.464384
(doi: 10.1101/2021.10.14.464384)
The Hsc70 disaggregation machinery removes monomer units directly from α-synuclein fibril ends
MM Schneider, S Gautam, TW Herling, E Andrzejewska, G Krainer, AM Miller, VA Trinkaus, QAE Peter, FS Ruggeri, M Vendruscolo, A Bracher, CM Dobson, FU Hartl, TPJ Knowles
– Nature Communications
(2021)
12,
5999
(doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-25966-w)
Can single-component protein condensates form multiphase architectures?
A Garaizar, J Espinosa, J Joseph, G Krainer, Y Shen, TPJ Knowles, R Collepardo-Guevara
(2021)
(doi: 10.1101/2021.10.09.463670)
Accelerating Reaction Rates of Biomolecules by Using Shear Stress in Artificial Capillary Systems.
TA Hakala, EV Yates, PK Challa, Z Toprakcioglu, K Nadendla, D Matak-Vinkovic, CM Dobson, R Martínez, F Corzana, TPJ Knowles, GJL Bernardes
– J Am Chem Soc
(2021)
143,
16401
(doi: 10.1021/jacs.1c03681)
Sequential storage and release of microdroplets
Z Toprakcioglu, TPJ Knowles
– Microsyst Nanoeng
(2021)
7,
76
(doi: 10.1038/s41378-021-00303-9)
Mechanism of Secondary Nucleation at the Single Fibril Level from Direct Observations of Aβ42 Aggregation
MR Zimmermann, SC Bera, G Meisl, S Dasadhikari, S Ghosh, S Linse, K Garai, TPJ Knowles
– Journal of the American Chemical Society
(2021)
143,
16621
(doi: 10.1021/jacs.1c07228)
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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