The current focus of my work is on defining the mechanism and structures of protein interactions. These interactions include protein-protein, proteinmembrane and protein-DNA interactions. Currently two systems are being employed to study these interactions. One is the ion channel protein, CLIC, that plays a fundamental role in the cell cycle, and the other is the nuclear transcription factor, FOXP2, that is implicated in cognition and theacquisition of language. The objective of the CLIC project is to design a system whereby the interaction of the protein with the membrane can be assessed. This is crucial for any functional studies. Techniques include microscopy, liposome work, spectroscopy and NMR. The FOXP2 project aims at studying the interaction between the transcription factor and specific “cognate” DNA sequences. The effect of dimerisation as well as interaction with other proteins is under investigation. The ultimate objective with this project is to understand how FOXP2 transcription is regulated. Techniques include SELEX, spectroscopy, isothermal titration calorimetry, surface plasmon resonance, stopped flow kinetics and x-ray crystallography.

Enzymology, metabolism, X-Ray Crystallography, Protein Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Biological Chemistry, Molecular Medicine and Haematology, Molecular Pathology.