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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

Lipid vesicles trigger α-synuclein aggregation by stimulating primary nucleation
C Galvagnion, AK Buell, G Meisl, TCT Michaels, M Vendruscolo, TPJ Knowles, CM Dobson
– Nature chemical biology
(2015)
11,
229
(doi: 10.1038/NCHEMBIO.1750)
Protein Microgels from Amyloid Fibril Networks
U Shimanovich, I Efimov, TO Mason, P Flagmeier, AK Buell, A Gedanken, S Linse, KS Åkerfeldt, CM Dobson, DA Weitz, TPJ Knowles
– ACS Nano
(2015)
9,
43
(doi: 10.1021/nn504869d)
Crucial role of non-specific interactions in amyloid nucleation
A Saric, YC Chebaro, TPJ Knowles, D Frenkel
– EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL WITH BIOPHYSICS LETTERS
(2015)
44,
S161
(link to publication)
A microfluidic platform for quantitative measurements of effective protein charges and single ion binding in solution.
TW Herling, P Arosio, T Müller, S Linse, TPJ Knowles
– Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP
(2015)
17,
12161
(doi: 10.1039/c5cp00746a)
A high power-density, mediator-free, microfluidic biophotovoltaic device for cyanobacterial cells
P Bombelli, T Müller, TW Herling, CJ Howe, TPJ Knowles
– Advanced Energy Materials
(2015)
5,
(doi: 10.1002/aenm.201401299)
New insights into the mechanism of amyloid formation by alpha-synuclein
AK Buell, C Galvagnion, CM Dobson, TPJ Knowles
– EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL WITH BIOPHYSICS LETTERS
(2015)
44,
S100
(link to publication)
Kinetics of protein aggregation
TPJ Knowles
– EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL WITH BIOPHYSICS LETTERS
(2015)
44,
S98
(link to publication)
Lipid vesicles trigger α-synuclein aggregation by stimulating primary nucleation
C Galvagnion, AK Buell, G Meisl, TC Michaels, M Vendruscolo, TPJ Knowles, CM Dobson
– EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL WITH BIOPHYSICS LETTERS
(2015)
44,
S101
(link to publication)
On the lag phase in amyloid fibril formation.
P Arosio, TPJ Knowles, S Linse
– Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP
(2015)
17,
7606
(doi: 10.1039/c4cp05563b)
Sizing and interactions of proteins under native conditions from microfluidic diffusion measurements: application to molecular chaperones and single-step immunoassay
P Arosio, T Mueller, L Rajah, F Aprile, T Scheidt, J Carrozza, M Wright, M Vendruscolo, C Dobson, T Knowles
– PROTEIN SCIENCE
(2015)
24,
3
(link to publication)
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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