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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

Infrared nanospectroscopy reveals the molecular interaction fingerprint of an aggregation inhibitor with single Aβ42 oligomers.
FS Ruggeri, J Habchi, S Chia, RI Horne, M Vendruscolo, TPJ Knowles
– Nature Communications
(2021)
12,
688
(doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-20782-0)
Label-Free Protein Analysis Using Liquid Chromatography with Gravimetric Detection.
T Kartanas, A Levin, Z Toprakcioglu, T Scheidt, TA Hakala, J Charmet, TPJ Knowles
– Analytical Chemistry
(2021)
93,
2848
(doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c04149)
A dopamine metabolite stabilizes neurotoxic amyloid-β oligomers (vol 4, 19, 2021)
R Cataldi, S Chia, K Pisani, FS Ruggeri, CK Xu, T Šneideris, M Perni, S Sarwat, P Joshi, JR Kumita, S Linse, J Habchi, TPJ Knowles, B Mannini, CM Dobson, M Vendruscolo
– Commun Biol
(2021)
4,
154
(doi: 10.1038/s42003-021-01680-7)
In situ kinetic measurements of α-synuclein aggregation reveal large population of shortlived oligomers
E Zurlo, P Kumar, G Meisl, AJ Dear, D Mondal, MMAE Claessens, TPJ Knowles, M Huber
– PloS one
(2021)
16,
e0245548
(doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245548)
A dopamine metabolite stabilizes neurotoxic amyloid-β oligomers
R Cataldi, S Chia, K Pisani, FS Ruggeri, CK Xu, T Šneideris, M Perni, S Sarwat, P Joshi, JR Kumita, S Linse, J Habchi, TPJ Knowles, B Mannini, CM Dobson, M Vendruscolo
– Communications biology
(2021)
4,
19
(doi: 10.1038/s42003-020-01490-3)
DETECTION AND QUANTIFICATION OF IMMUNOLOGICALLY RELEVANT ALLOANTIBODY-HLA INTERACTIONS USING MICROFLUIDIC ANTIBODY AFFINITY PROFILING
A Priddey, M Schneider, G Karahan, T Scheidt, C Xu, G Meisl, H Copley, F Claas, R Buchli, A Mulder, S Heidt, T Knowles, V Kosmoliaptsis
– TRANSPLANT INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
34,
245
(link to publication)
Microfluidic diffusional sizing for studying protein-protein interactions
MM Schneider, CM Dobson, A Aguzzi, FU Hartl, TPJ Knowles
– EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL WITH BIOPHYSICS LETTERS
(2021)
50,
56
(link to publication)
Interactions of α-synuclein oligomers with lipid membranes.
G Musteikytė, AK Jayaram, CK Xu, M Vendruscolo, G Krainer, TPJ Knowles
– Biochim Biophys Acta Biomembr
(2020)
1863,
183536
(doi: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2020.183536)
Environmental Control of Amyloid Polymorphism by Modulation of Hydrodynamic Stress.
J Zhou, L Venturelli, L Keiser, SK Sekatskii, F Gallaire, S Kasas, G Longo, TPJ Knowles, FS Ruggeri, G Dietler
– ACS Nano
(2020)
15,
944
(doi: 10.1021/acsnano.0c07570)
Screening of small molecules using the inhibition of oligomer formation in α-synuclein aggregation as a selection parameter
R Staats, TCT Michaels, P Flagmeier, S Chia, RI Horne, J Habchi, S Linse, TPJ Knowles, CM Dobson, M Vendruscolo
– Communications Chemistry
(2020)
3,
191
(doi: 10.1038/s42004-020-00412-y)
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Research Groups

Research Interest Groups

Telephone number

01223 336344

Email address

tpjk2@cam.ac.uk

College

St John's College

    Study at Cambridge

    About the University

    Research at Cambridge