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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 electrostatics govern the emulsion stability of biomolecular condensates
T Welsh, G Krainer, J Espinosa, J Joseph, A Sridhar, M Jahnel, W Arter, K Saar, S Alberti, R Collepardo-Guevara, TPJ Knowles
(2020)
2020.04.20.047910
(doi: 10.1101/2020.04.20.047910)
Author Correction: Dynamics of oligomer populations formed during the aggregation of Alzheimer’s Aβ42 peptide
TCT Michaels, A Šarić, S Curk, K Bernfur, P Arosio, G Meisl, AJ Dear, SIA Cohen, CM Dobson, M Vendruscolo, S Linse, TPJ Knowles
– Nat Chem
(2020)
12,
497
(doi: 10.1038/s41557-020-0468-6)
Dynamics of oligomer populations formed during the aggregation of Alzheimer’s Aβ42 peptide
TCT Michaels, A Šarić, S Curk, K Bernfur, P Arosio, G Meisl, AJ Dear, SIA Cohen, CM Dobson, M Vendruscolo, S Linse, TPJ Knowles
– Nature Chemistry
(2020)
12,
445
(doi: 10.1038/s41557-020-0452-1)
Mechanism of droplet-formation in a supersonic microfluidic spray device
T Kartanas, Z Toprakcioglu, TA Hakala, A Levin, TW Herling, R Daly, J Charmet, TPJ Knowles
– Applied Physics Letters
(2020)
116,
153702
(doi: 10.1063/1.5145109)
Microfluidic approaches for the analysis of protein-protein interactions in solution.
WE Arter, A Levin, G Krainer, TPJ Knowles
– Biophys Rev
(2020)
12,
575
(doi: 10.1007/s12551-020-00679-4)
Ultrathin Polydopamine Films with Phospholipid Nanodiscs Containing a Glycophorin A Domain
T Marchesi D'Alvise, S Harvey, L Hueske, J Szelwicka, L Veith, TPJ Knowles, D Kubiczek, C Flaig, F Port, KE Gottschalk, F Rosenau, B Graczykowski, G Fytas, FS Ruggeri, K Wunderlich, T Weil
– Advanced Functional Materials
(2020)
30,
2000378
(doi: 10.1002/adfm.202000378)
The Influence of Pathogenic Mutations in α-Synuclein on Biophysical and Structural Characteristics of Amyloid Fibrils
FS Ruggeri, P Flagmeier, JR Kumita, G Meisl, DY Chirgadze, MN Bongiovanni, TPJ Knowles, CM Dobson
– ACS nano
(2020)
14,
5213
(doi: 10.1021/acsnano.9b09676)
Effects of sedimentation, microgravity, hydrodynamic mixing and air-water interface on α-synuclein amyloid formation
J Zhou, FS Ruggeri, MR Zimmermann, G Meisl, G Longo, SK Sekatskii, TPJ Knowles, G Dietler
– Chemical science
(2020)
11,
3687
(doi: 10.1039/d0sc00281j)
Multi-scale microporous silica microcapsules from gas-in water-in oil emulsions
Z Toprakcioglu, TA Hakala, A Levin, CFW Becker, GGL Bernandes, TPJ Knowles
– Soft matter
(2020)
16,
3082
(doi: 10.1039/c9sm02274k)
Lipid-Stabilized Double Emulsions Generated in Planar Microfluidic Devices
L Kong, A Levin, Z Toprakcioglu, Y Xu, H Gang, R Ye, B-Z Mu, TPJ Knowles
– Langmuir
(2020)
36,
2349
(doi: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b03622)
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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