Investigating the future: Toxic transformers: Investigating new pore-forming proteins

We have recently discovered several previously unknown pore-forming protein families that share striking structural features with insecticidal proteins widely used in sustainable crop protection, however their mechanism of action is unknown. Excitingly, we already have preliminary data showing that two proteins from distinct new families can be produced in Escherichia coli and purified in a soluble, folded form, making them ideal candidates for mechanistic exploration. The student will investigate how one of these newly discovered proteins builds itself into nano-scale machines. After expressing and purifying the protein using affinity chromatography, they will use size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) to test whether it can assemble into higher-order structures. They will further apply chemical crosslinking followed by SDS-PAGE to provide insights into how pre-pores begin to form in solution. This project offers hands-on training in protein expression, purification, and biophysical characterisation, while contributing to uncovering how proteins self-assemble into functional complexes. The student will gain valuable interdisciplinary experience and generate new, first-of-its-kind data on a novel membrane-active protein. Students will need to find their own accommodation and be expected to present their findings orally at a research day in York in September 2026.