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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

Amyloid β-Protein: The Influence of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors on Fibril Formation
R Cukalevski, X Yang, S Cohen, B Boland, B Frohm, E Thulin, D Walsh, T Knowles, S Linse
– Biophysical Journal
(2014)
106,
682A
(doi: 10.1016/j.bpj.2013.11.3778)
Amyloid Beta Peptide Aβ40 and Aβ42 Form Separate Fibrils in Binary Mixtures
X Yang, R Cukalevski, G Meisl, B Frohm, T Knowles, S Linse
– PROTEIN SCIENCE
(2014)
23,
79
(link to publication)
Determination of Primary Nucleation Mechanisms of α-Synuclein Amyloid Aggregation
FA Aprile, G Meisl, AK Buell, P Flagmeier, CM Dobson, M Vendruscolo, TPJ Knowles
– BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL
(2014)
106,
267A
(link to publication)
Nanoscale spatially resolved infrared spectra from single microdroplets
T Müller, FS Ruggeri, AJ Kulik, U Shimanovich, TO Mason, TPJ Knowles, G Dietler
– Lab on A Chip
(2014)
14,
1315
(doi: 10.1039/c3lc51219c)
A clear view of polymorphism, twist, and chirality in amyloid fibril formation.
LR Volpatti, M Vendruscolo, CM Dobson, TPJ Knowles
– ACS Nano
(2013)
7,
10443
(doi: 10.1021/nn406121w)
Quantification of the concentration of Aβ42 propagons during the lag phase by an amyloid chain reaction assay.
P Arosio, R Cukalevski, B Frohm, TPJ Knowles, S Linse
– Journal of the American Chemical Society
(2013)
136,
219
(doi: 10.1021/ja408765u)
Protein micro- and nano-capsules for biomedical applications.
U Shimanovich, GJL Bernardes, TPJ Knowles, A Cavaco-Paulo
– Chemical Society reviews
(2013)
43,
1361
(doi: 10.1039/c3cs60376h)
Polymer Physics Inspired Approaches for the Study of the Mechanical Properties of Amyloid Fibrils
LR Volpatti, TPJ Knowles
– Journal of Polymer Science Part B: Polymer Physics
(2013)
52,
281
(doi: 10.1002/polb.23428)
Single Point Mutations Induce a Switch in the Molecular Mechanism of the Aggregation of the Alzheimer's Disease Associated Aβ42 Peptide
B Bolognesi, SIA Cohen, P Aran Terol, EK Esbjörner, S Giorgetti, MF Mossuto, A Natalello, A-C Brorsson, TPJ Knowles, CM Dobson, LM Luheshi
– ACS Chemical Biology
(2013)
9,
378
(doi: 10.1021/cb400616y)
Three-dimensional domain swapping and supramolecular protein assembly: insights from the X-ray structure of a dimeric swapped variant of human pancreatic RNase.
A Pica, A Merlino, AK Buell, TPJ Knowles, E Pizzo, G D'Alessio, F Sica, L Mazzarella
– Acta crystallographica. Section D, Biological crystallography
(2013)
69,
2116
(doi: 10.1107/S0907444913020507)
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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