Projects per year
Organisation profile
Organisation profile
The Centre for Molecular and Structural Biochemistry is a multidisciplinary biomolecular research centre based in UEA's Schools of Chemistry, Biological Sciences and Pharmacy.
Scientists work at the interface between biology and chemistry in an environment that enables complementary expertises to be applied to important biological problems. Prof Nick Le Brun has been Director of the Centre since 2010.
OUR HISTORY
Launched in the late 1980s by Andrew Thomson FRS OBE and Colin Greenwood, the Centre for Metalloprotein Spectroscopy and Biology provided an umbrella for a range of successful interactions between UEA chemists and biologists that aimed to solve a range of significant biological problems. The Centre, which was the forerunner of the many interdisciplinary research centres that have sprung up in recent years, built an international reputation for excellence in research and pioneering innovative techniques.
As its name suggests, the focus of the CMSB was metalloproteins - proteins that contain metals, which are essential for many key cellular processes. In particular, our work focused on the activation and redox cycling of inorganic substrates involved in bacterial nitrogen, oxygen and sulphur cycles, and on metal ion metabolism and metal-microbe interactions. See the article in Biochem. Soc. Trans. by Prof Mike Wilson for more on our history.
Though the links between chemists and biologists at UEA remain as strong as ever, the focus of their work has broadened significantly in recent years into areas including protein folding, environmental sensing, pathogen-host interactions and cancer biology. To reflect this change, a celebratory meeting headlined by the Nobel Laureate Professor Sir John Walker FRS was held in May 2008 and the Centre was renamed the Centre for Molecular and Structural Biochemistry.
Through multi-million pound investment over many years from BBSRC, the Royal Society and the Wellcome Trust, the Centre boasts a broad and unique range of biophysical facilities. These include high field NMR, pulsed multi-frequency EPR spectrometer, magnetic circular dichroism, protein film electrochemistry, mass spectrometry and rapid reaction kinetics, supported by a host of additional biophysical and bioanalytical equipment.
Network
Profiles
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Tharin Blumenschein
- School of Chemistry - Associate Professor in Biomolecular NMR Spectroscopy
- School of Natural Sciences - Head of School
- Centre for Molecular and Structural Biochemistry - Member
- Chemistry of Life Processes - Member
Person: Research Group Member, Research Centre Member, Academic, Teaching & Research
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Richard Bowater
- School of Biological Sciences - Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education
- Centre for Molecular and Structural Biochemistry - Member
- Biosciences Teaching and Education Research - Member
- Molecular Microbiology - Member
Person: Member, Academic, Teaching & Scholarship, Research Group Member, Research Centre Member
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Julea Butt
- School of Biological Sciences - Professor of Biophysical Chemistry
- School of Chemistry - Professor of Biophysical Chemistry
- Centre for Molecular and Structural Biochemistry - Member
- Chemistry of Life Processes - Member
- Chemistry of Light and Energy - Member
- Energy Materials Laboratory - Member
- Molecular Microbiology - Member
Person: Research Group Member, Research Centre Member, Academic, Teaching & Research
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Core Carbonate Chemistry Equipment
Lettice, F., Bakker, D., Gates, A., Heywood, K., Kaiser, J., Landini, S., Marin, M. J., Melendi-Espina, S., Nolte, S., Robinson, C. & Todd, J.
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
3/01/23 → 2/07/24
Project: Research
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Bioanalytical Chemistry
Labuda, J., Bowater, R., Fojta, M., Gauglitz, G., Glatz, Z., Hapala, I., Havliš, J., Kilar, F., Kilar, A., Malinovská, L., Sirén, H. M. M., Skládal, P., Torta, F., Valachovič, M., Wimmerová, M., Zdráhal, Z. & Hibbert, D. B., 27 Jan 2023, Compendium of Terminology in Analytical Chemistry. Hibbert, D. B. (ed.). Royal Society of Chemistry, p. 512-568Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (peer-reviewed) › peer-review
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Diversification in the inositol tris/tetrakisphosphate kinase (ITPK) family: crystal structure and enzymology of the outlier AtITPK4
Whitfield, H., He, S., Gu, Y., Sprigg, C., Kuo, H-F., Chiou, T-J., Riley, A. M., Potter, B. V. L., Hemmings, A. & Brearley, C., 10 Mar 2023, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Biochemical Journal. BCJ20220579.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Electrochemically-switched 2nd order non-linear optical response in an arylimido-polyoxometalate with high contrast and cyclability
Hood, B. R., de Coene, Y., Vieira Torre Do Vale Froes, A., Jones, C., Beaujean, P., Liegois, V., MacMillan, F., Champagne, B., Clays, K. & Fielden, J., 26 Jan 2023, In: Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 62, 5, e202215537.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile5 Downloads (Pure)
Datasets
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Data sets for: Photocatalytic removal of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide by liposomal microreactors
Butt, J. (Creator), Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2022
Dataset
File -
Bespoke biomolecular wires for transmembrane electron transfer: Data sets
Piper, S. (Creator), Edwards, M. (Creator), Van Wonderen, J. (Contributor), Casadevall, C. (Creator), Martel, A. (Contributor), Jeuken, L. J. C. (Contributor), Reisner, E. (Contributor), Clarke, T. (Contributor) & Butt, J. (Contributor), Frontiers Media S.A., 27 Jul 2021
Dataset
File -
van Wonderen et al Data sets for 'Nanosecond Heme-to-Heme Electron Transfer Rates in a Multiheme Cytochrome Nanowire...'
Butt, J. (Creator), Van Wonderen, J. (Creator), Adamczyk, K. (Creator), Wu, X. (Creator), Jiang, X. (Creator), Piper, S. (Creator), Hall, C. (Creator), Edwards, M. (Creator), Clarke, T. (Creator), Zhang, H. (Creator), Jeuken, L. J. C. (Creator), Sazanovich, I. (Creator), Towrie, M. (Creator), Blumberger, J. (Creator) & Meech, S. (Creator), National Academy of Sciences, 2021
Dataset
File
Prizes
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Awarded Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
Bowater, Richard (Recipient), 10 Nov 2015
Prize: Election to learned society
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Biochemical Society Local Ambassador of the Year 2014
Bowater, Richard (Recipient), 2014
Prize: Other distinction
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Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology (FRSB)
Bowater, Richard (Recipient), 1 Apr 2019
Prize: Election to learned society
Activities
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Biochemistry and Chemistry of the living World Committee (CE44) (External organisation)
Nick Le Brun (Member)
1 Jan 2023 → …Activity: Membership › Peer review panel
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Organometallics (Journal)
Rianne Lord (Editorial board member)
Jan 2023 → …Activity: Editorial work › Publication editorial role
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Working Group 4: Mechanistic Studies of FeS Chemistry (External organisation)
Nick Le Brun (Lead)
1 Nov 2022 → …Activity: Membership › Committee