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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

The catalytic nature of protein aggregation
AJ Dear, G Meisl, TCT Michaels, MR Zimmermann, S Linse, TPJ Knowles
– The Journal of Chemical Physics
(2020)
152,
045101
(doi: 10.1063/1.5133635)
Coating and Stabilization of Liposomes by Clathrin-Inspired DNA Self-Assembly.
KN Baumann, L Piantanida, J García-Nafría, D Sobota, K Voïtchovsky, TPJ Knowles, S Hernández-Ainsa
– ACS Nano
(2020)
14,
2316
(doi: 10.1021/acsnano.9b09453)
Chris Dobson (1949–2019)
TPJ Knowles, M Vendruscolo
– Nature Chemical Biology
(2020)
16,
105
(doi: 10.1038/s41589-019-0456-6)
Investigation of Natural and Synthetic Aggregation Inhibitors using Microfluidic Applications
T Scheidt, J Carozza, JL Benesch, P Arosio, S Linse, TPJ Knowles
– BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL
(2020)
118,
337A
(link to publication)
A microfluidic strategy for the detection of membrane protein interactions
Y Zhang, TW Herling, S Kreida, QAE Peter, T Kartanas, S Törnroth-Horsefield, S Linse, TPJ Knowles
– Lab on a Chip
(2020)
20,
3230
(doi: 10.1039/d0lc00205d)
Local micro and nano patterning of microfluidic devices using the solid on liquid deposition process
J Charmet, A Homsy, M Wood, J Covington, L Isa, M Textor, TPJ Knowles, H Keppner
– 21st International Conference on Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences Microtas 2017
(2020)
385
Multi-scale microporous silica microcapsules from gas-in water-in oil emulsions (vol 31, pg 125, 2020)
Z Toprakcioglu, TA Hakala, A Levin, CFW Becker, GJL Bernandes, TPJ Knowles
– Soft matter
(2020)
16,
3586
(doi: 10.1039/d0sm90059a)
Homage to Chris Dobson.
J Baum, F Chiti, A De Simone, TPJ Knowles, JR Kumita, SE Radford, CV Robinson, X Salvatella, K Valelli, M Vendruscolo, A Pastore, GG Tartaglia
– Frontiers in molecular biosciences
(2019)
6,
137
(doi: 10.17863/CAM.47329)
Trodusquemine enhances Aβ42 aggregation but suppresses its toxicity by displacing oligomers from cell membranes.
R Limbocker, S Chia, FS Ruggeri, M Perni, R Cascella, GT Heller, G Meisl, B Mannini, J Habchi, TCT Michaels, PK Challa, M Ahn, ST Casford, N Fernando, CK Xu, ND Kloss, SIA Cohen, JR Kumita, C Cecchi, M Zasloff, S Linse, TPJ Knowles, F Chiti, M Vendruscolo, CM Dobson
– Nature communications
(2019)
10,
225
(doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-07699-5)
Label-Free Analysis of Protein Aggregation and Phase Behavior
Z Toprakcioglu, P Challa, C Xu, TPJ Knowles
– ACS nano
(2019)
13,
13940
(doi: 10.1021/acsnano.9b05552)
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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