Projects per year
Personal profile
Administrative Posts
- Biological Sciences Postgraduate Research Co-Director
- Natural Sciences Exam Board Chair
- Module organiser for 3rd Year BIO-6004A Microbial Biotechnology
- Module organiser for 1st Year BIO-4007Y Physical and Analytical Methods in Biological Sciences
Career
- Professor of Protein Biochemistry, University of East Anglia (2021-present)
- Lecturer, University of East Anglia (2011-2021)
- RCUK research Fellow, University of East Anglia (2006-2011)
- Senior Research Associate, University of East Anglia (2003-2006)
- Research Fellow, University of Michigan (2001-2003)
- Ph.D. John Innes Centre, University of East Anglia (1998-2001)
- M.Sc. Biomolecular Technology, University of Leicester (1997)
- B.Sc. Biochemistry, University College London, University of London (1992-1995)
ResearcherID
External Activities
- Ambassador of the Biochemical society (2022-)
- Associate Editor of Scientific Reports
- External Board member of 'Centre of Electromicrobiology', Aarhus Denmark
Key Research Interests
My interests lie in the characterisation of enzymes that contain metal cofactors, principally enzymes involved in bacterial respiration. These include soluble cytoplasmic and periplasmic proteins, integral membrane proteins as well as extracellular membrane associated proteins that interact with the environment. In collaboration with colleagues in the Centre for Molecular and Structural Biochemistry, my research combines a broad range of biological, biochemical and biophysical techniques to explore protein-protein interactions, electron transfer between cofactors and the mechanism of enzyme catalysis.
Current Research Projects
- Extracellular electron transfer
- Interactions between outer membrane cytochromes and mineral surfaces
- Reverse electron transfer (bioelectrosynthesis)
Life in our Research Group
The actions of bacteria have a profound effect on the global environment, from the cycling of greenhouse gases to the availability of minerals and nutrients in the soil. We are interested in how these processes work on a molecular level through the action of enzymes expressed by the bacteria. In order to study these enzymes we employ a broad variety of techniques across the breadth of the science faculty; from spectroscopic methods such as Cyclic voltammetry in the Biophysical suite in Chemistry to the culturing of micro-organisms in the Wolfson Fermentation Suite in Biology. Our group is based in a well furnished laboratory on floor 2 of BIO, where we share laboratory space and equipment with Prof. Richardson, Prof. Hemmings, Dr Gates and Dr Swainsbury.
PhD Positions
Click here for current PhD opportunities in Biological Sciences. But feel free to email me to discuss projects outside these areas and alternative sources of funding.
Postdocs & Fellows
I am always happy to discuss possibilities for postdoctoral work and collaborations. Possible funding routes include applying for fellowships, e.g. EU Marie Curie fellowships, with me acting as sponsor, or grant applications with you as a named postdoc.
Teaching Interests
- Microbial biotechnology (BIO-6004A) (Module organiser)
- Molecular Enzymology in Biology and Medicine (BIO-6001A)
- Biochemistry (BIO-5002A)
- Microbiology (BIO-5015B)
- Physical and Analytical Methods in the Biolmolecular Sciences (BIO-4007Y)
- Skills for Biologists (BIO-4008Y)
Network
-
Biochemical and Physiological Characterisation of Salmonella ZraPSR
Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia Cultural Bureau, London
1/10/22 → 30/09/23
Project: Training
-
Better by Design: Chemically Diverse Biomolecular Wires
Butt, J., Clarke, T., Meech, S. & Sachdeva, A.
15/03/21 → 14/12/24
Project: Research
-
The assembly and folding pathway of porin cytochrome complexes in the bacterial outer membrane
Clarke, T., Butt, J., Richardson, D. & Edwards, M.
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
1/01/18 → 30/09/21
Project: Research
-
BrIdging Structural BiOlogy with Biological SyNthesis and Self Assembly to Reveal Key Processes in Living Systems
Bowater, R., Butt, J., Clarke, T., Gates, A., Hamilton, C., Hutchings, M., Le Brun, N., Rowley, G., Searcey, M. & Waller, Z.
1/01/16 → 31/12/18
Project: Research
-
Structure of a bacterial cell surface decaheme electron conduit
Clarke, T. A., Edwards, M. J., Gates, A. J., Hall, A., White, G. F., Bradley, J., Reardon, C. L., Shi, L., Beliaev, A. S., Marshall, M. J., Wang, Z., Watmough, N. J., Fredrickson, J. K., Zachara, J. M., Butt, J. N. & Richardson, D. J., 7 Jun 2011, In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 108, 23, p. 9384-9389 6 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile262 Citations (Scopus)16 Downloads (Pure) -
Redox linked flavin sites in extracellular decaheme proteins involved in microbe-mineral electron transfer
Edwards, M., White, G., Norman, M., Tome-Fernandez, A., Ainsworth, E., Shi, L., Fredrickson, J., Zachara, J., Butt, J., Richardson, D. & Clarke, T., 1 Jul 2015, In: Scientific Reports. 5, 11677.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile108 Citations (Scopus)12 Downloads (Pure) -
Photocatalytic removal of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide by liposomal microreactors
Piper, S. E. H., Casadevall, C., Reisner, E., Clarke, T. A., Jeuken, L. J. C., Gates, A. J. & Butt, J. N., 10 Oct 2022, In: Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 61, 41, e202210572.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Downloads (Pure) -
Plugging into bacterial nanowires: A comparison of model electrogenic organisms
Clarke, T. A., 1 Apr 2022, In: Current Opinion in Microbiology. 66, p. 56-62 7 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Open AccessFile2 Citations (Scopus)1 Downloads (Pure) -
Bespoke biomolecular wires for transmembrane electron transfer: Spontaneous assembly of a functionalized multiheme electron conduit
Piper, S., Edwards, M., van Wonderen, J., Casadevall, C., Martel, A., Jeuken, L. J. C., Reisner, E., Clarke, T. & Butt, J., 16 Aug 2021, In: Frontiers in Microbiology. 12, 714508.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile3 Citations (Scopus)21 Downloads (Pure)
Datasets
-
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 -
Data Sets from Li et al 2020 Nanotechnology
Li, D. (Creator), Edwards, M. (Creator), Blake, A. (Creator), Payne, S. (Creator), Piper, S. (Creator), Jenner, L. (Creator), Sokol, K. P. (Creator), Reisner, E. (Creator), Van Wonderen, J. (Creator), Clarke, T. (Creator) & Butt, J. (Creator), University of East Anglia, 2020
Dataset
File