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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

LAG3 is not expressed in human and murine neurons and does not modulate α-synucleinopathies
M Emmenegger, E De Cecco, M Hruska-Plochan, T Eninger, MM Schneider, M Barth, E Tantardini, P de Rossi, M Bacioglu, RG Langston, A Kaganovich, N Bengoa-Vergniory, A Gonzalez-Guerra, M Avar, D Heinzer, R Reimann, LM Häsler, TW Herling, NS Matharu, N Landeck, K Luk, R Melki, PJ Kahle, S Hornemann, TPJ Knowles, MR Cookson, M Polymenidou, M Jucker, A Aguzzi
– EMBO molecular medicine
(2021)
13,
emmm202114745
Mutations in two SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern reflect two distinct strategies of antibody escape
S Fiedler, V Denninger, A Morgunov, A Ilsley, R Worth, G Meisl, C Xu, M Piziorska, F Ricci, A Malik, S Devenish, M Schneider, V Kosmoliaptsis, A Aguzzi, A Iwasaki, H Fiegler, T Knowles
(2021)
2021.07.23.453327
Understanding the role of memory re-activation and cross-reactivity in the defense against SARS-CoV-2
V Denninger, C Xu, G Meisl, A Morgunov, S Fiedler, A Ilsley, M Emmenegger, A Malik, M Piziorska, M Schneider, S Devenish, V Kosmoliaptsis, A Aguzzi, H Fiegler, T Knowles
(2021)
2021.07.23.453352
Liquid-Liquid Phase-Separated Systems from Reversible Gel-Sol Transition of Protein Microgels
Y Xu, R Qi, H Zhu, B Li, Y Shen, G Krainer, D Klenerman, TPJ Knowles
– Adv Mater
(2021)
33,
e2008670
The unhappy chaperone.
S Linse, K Thalberg, TPJ Knowles
– QRB Discovery
(2021)
2,
e7
Protein Conjugation by Electrophilic Alkynylation Using 5-(Alkynyl)dibenzothiophenium Triflates
V Laserna, A Istrate, K Kafuta, TA Hakala, TPJ Knowles, M Alcarazo, GJL Bernardes
– Bioconjug Chem
(2021)
32,
1570
Biomembranes in bioelectronic sensing.
AK Jayaram, AM Pappa, S Ghosh, ZA Manzer, WC Traberg, TPJ Knowles, S Daniel, RM Owens
– Trends Biotechnol
(2021)
40,
107
Soluble amyloid beta-containing aggregates are present throughout the brain at early stages of Alzheimer's disease
DI Sideris, JSH Danial, D Emin, FS Ruggeri, Z Xia, YP Zhang, E Lobanova, H Dakin, S De, A Miller, JC Sang, TPJ Knowles, M Vendruscolo, G Fraser, D Crowther, D Klenerman
– Brain communications
(2021)
3,
fcab147
Squalamine and Its Derivatives Modulate the Aggregation of Amyloid-β and α-Synuclein and Suppress the Toxicity of Their Oligomers
R Limbocker, R Staats, S Chia, FS Ruggeri, B Mannini, CK Xu, M Perni, R Cascella, A Bigi, LR Sasser, NR Block, AK Wright, RP Kreiser, ET Custy, G Meisl, S Errico, J Habchi, P Flagmeier, T Kartanas, JE Hollows, LT Nguyen, K LeForte, D Barbut, JR Kumita, C Cecchi, M Zasloff, TPJ Knowles, CM Dobson, F Chiti, M Vendruscolo
– Front Neurosci
(2021)
15,
680026
Controlled self-assembly of plant proteins into high-performance multifunctional nanostructured films
A Kamada, M Rodriguez-Garcia, FS Ruggeri, Y Shen, A Levin, TPJ Knowles
– Nature Communications
(2021)
12,
3529
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Research Interest Groups

Telephone number

01223 336344

Email address

tpjk2@cam.ac.uk