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.
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Profiles
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Tharin Blumenschein
- School of Chemistry, Pharmacy and Pharmacology - Associate Professor in Biomolecular NMR Spectroscopy
- 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
- Centre for Molecular and Structural Biochemistry - Member
- Centre for Photonics and Quantum Science - 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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A new understanding of nitrogen metabolism in pathogenic and environmental bacteria
1/02/25 → 31/01/26
Project: Training
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Spectroscopic and synthetic facilities for supramolecular and macromolecular systems
Le Brun, N., Beekman, A., Bidula, S., Bradley, J., Butt, J., Cammidge, A., Cheesman, M., Crack, J., Delso, I., Ganesan, A., Gates, A., Hamilton, C., Sachdeva, A., Searcey, M. & Wallace, M.
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
1/01/25 → 30/06/26
Project: Research
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A Multiwavelength Analytical Centrifuge platform for Solute Characterisation
Clarke, T., Akay, A., Butt, J., Crichton, P., Gates, A., Le Brun, N., Rowley, G., Swainsbury, D. & Hall, A.
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
1/08/24 → 31/07/25
Project: Research
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Dynamics in the Phytophthora capsici effector AVR3a11 confirm the core WY domain fold
Tolchard, J., Chambers, V. S., Boutemy, L. S., Banfield, M. J. & Blumenschein, T. M. A., 4 Mar 2025, In: Biochemistry. 64, 5, p. 1146–1156 11 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Editorial overview: From fundamental insights to inspiration for clean and sustainable biotechnology
Butt, J. N., Apr 2025, In: Current Opinion in Electrochemistry. 50, 101669.Research output: Contribution to journal › Editorial
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Exploring the structural dynamics of LeuT using EPR spectroscopy: A focus on transmembrane helix 10
Tsalagradas, P., Eke, C., Andrews, C. & MacMillan, F., Mar 2025, In: Journal of Neurochemistry. 169, 3, e70034.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile3 Downloads (Pure)
Datasets
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Genetic Code Expansion in Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 allows Site-Specific Incorporation of Bioorthogonal Functional Groups into a c-type Cytochrome: Data sets for this study
Lockwood, C. (Creator), Nash, B. (Creator), Whiting, K. (Creator), Connolly, A. (Creator), Sutton-Cook, A. (Creator), Crook, A. (Creator), Edwards, M. J. (Creator), Clarke, T. (Supervisor), Sachdeva, A. (Supervisor) & Butt, J. (Supervisor), American Chemical Society, 2024
Dataset
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Nash et al Datasets for 'Tethered heme domains in a triheme cytochrome allow for increased electron transport distances.'
Clarke, T. (Creator), Nash, B. (Creator), Edwards, M. J. (Creator), Svistunenko, D. A. (Creator), Fernandez, T. (Creator), Morgado, L. (Creator), van Wonderen, J. (Creator), Butt, J. (Creator) & Salgueiro, C. A. (Creator), University of East Anglia, 19 Feb 2024
Dataset
File -
Data sets for: Photocatalytic removal of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide by liposomal microreactors
Butt, J. (Creator), Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2022
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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Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence from Advance HE
Bowater, Richard (Recipient), 1 May 2024
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Activities
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British Biophysical Society (External organisation)
Tharin Blumenschein (Treasurer)
2025 → …Activity: Membership › Committee
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Molecules (Journal)
Tharin Blumenschein (Peer reviewer)
15 Nov 2024Activity: Editorial work › Publication peer-review
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UKRI Interdisciplinary Assessment College (External organisation)
Vasily Oganesyan (Member)
20 Oct 2024 → …Activity: Membership › Peer review panel
Press/Media
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Partnering with industry for authentic experiences and assessment
Richard Bowater, Michael Loughlin, Sarah Rayment & Janine Wilkinson
12/07/24
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Media Coverage or Contribution
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The practicalities of delivering a multi-institutional online workshop
Richard Bowater & Kelly Edmunds
21/09/22
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Media Coverage or Contribution
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Chemistry in Pictures: Chem brûlée
Rianne Lord
26/05/22
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Media Coverage or Contribution