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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

Microfluidic devices fabricated using fast wafer-scale LED-lithography patterning
PK Challa, T Kartanas, J Charmet, TPJ Knowles
– Biomicrofluidics
(2017)
11,
014113
(doi: 10.1063/1.4976690)
A microfluidic platform for quantitative protein studies
TW Herling, P Arosio, T Mueller, DJ O'Connell, MC Bauer, J Persson, U Weininger, S Linse, TPJ Knowles
– EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL WITH BIOPHYSICS LETTERS
(2017)
46,
S345
(link to publication)
Secondary nucleation of monomers on fibril surface dominates $\alpha$-synuclein aggregation and provides autocatalytic amyloid amplification
R Gaspar, G Meisl, AK Buell, L Young, CF Kaminski, TPJ Knowles, E Sparr, S Linse
– Quarterly Reviews of Biophysics
(2017)
50,
e6
(doi: 10.1017/s0033583516000172)
Kinetics of protein aggregation
T Knowles
– FEBS JOURNAL
(2017)
284,
34
(link to publication)
Mechanisms of Amyloid-β 42 oligomer formation from kinetic analysis
TC Michaels, A Saric, HW Lazell, P Arosio, M Vendruscolo, CM Dobson, S Linse, TPJ Knowles
– EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL WITH BIOPHYSICS LETTERS
(2017)
46,
S240
(link to publication)
On-chip label-free protein analysis with downstream electrodes for direct removal of electrolysis products
KL Saar, Y Zhang, T Müller, CP Kumar, S Devenish, A Lynn, U Łapińska, X Yang, S Linse, TPJ Knowles
– Lab Chip
(2017)
18,
162
(doi: 10.1039/c7lc00797c)
Systematic development of small molecules to inhibit specific microscopic steps of Aβ42 aggregation in Alzheimer’s disease
J Habchi, S Chia, R Limbocker, B Mannini, M Ahn, M Perni, O Hansson, P Arosio, JR Kumita, PK Challa, SIA Cohen, S Linse, CM Dobson, TPJ Knowles, M Vendruscolo
– Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
(2016)
114,
E200
(doi: 10.1073/pnas.1615613114)
Kinetics of spontaneous filament nucleation via oligomers: Insights from theory and simulation
A Šarić, TCT Michaels, A Zaccone, TPJ Knowles, D Frenkel
– The Journal of Chemical Physics
(2016)
145,
211926
(doi: 10.1063/1.4965040)
Micro- and nanoscale hierarchical structure of core–shell protein microgels
LR Volpatti, U Shimanovich, FS Ruggeri, S Bolisetty, T Müller, TO Mason, TCT Michaels, R Mezzenga, G Dietler, TPJ Knowles
– Journal of Materials Chemistry B
(2016)
4,
7989
(doi: 10.1039/c6tb02683d)
Dynamics of heteromolecular filament formation
AJ Dear, TCT Michaels, TPJ Knowles
– The Journal of Chemical Physics
(2016)
145,
175101
(doi: 10.1063/1.4966571)
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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