Revolutionising Healthcare: Microbes and Designer Proteins

Embark on an intriguing journey into the world of microbial warfare. Explore the ancient arsenal of antimicrobials wielded by microbes in their battle for survival. Discover the evolutionary forces driving antimicrobial resistance and learn how understanding microbial attack and defence strategies can revolutionize infection treatments.

Proteins are the architects of life on Earth. They play essential roles in photosynthesis, DNA replication, virus detection, and make up materials like silk and wool. The astonishing diversity in protein functionality arises from just twenty building blocks called amino acids. These are combined in different orders and quantities to form sequences that fold into unique 3D structures, leading to functionality. Surprisingly, nature has tapped into only a fraction of potential protein shapes. In my research, I use AI to design and optimise proteins, and create unseen functionalities.

Peptides are small chains made up of building blocks called amino acids. They are a valuable and important area of medicine, with over 100 approved for therapeutic or diagnostic use worldwide, such as insulin. Peptides are typically made by a synthetic process that generates unwanted byproducts which would contaminate any medicine. Current methods to clean them up are wasteful and not very green, so current research is trying to develop the technology to make this process more accessible and sustainable. Come along to find out how scientists are tackling this challenge by fishing out the byproducts!