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Centre for Misfolding Diseases

Professor Tuomas Knowles

Professor of Physical Chemistry and Biophysics

Our research

We study the physical and chemical aspects of the behaviour of biopolymers and other soft systems. Much of our work has been focused on the physical aspects underlying the self-assembly of protein molecules. Self-organisation is the driving force generating complex matter in nature, and the process by which the machinery providing functionality in living systems is assembled. The goal of our research is to understand the physical and chemical factors which control the structures and dynamics of biomolecular assemblies, and the connections between the nanoscale characteristics of the component molecules and the physical properties of large-scale assemblies and their behaviour on a mesoscopic to macroscopic scale. The techniques used in our laboratory include biosensors, optical lithography, microfluidic devices and scanning probe microscopy and spectroscopy. We work both with natural and synthetic polymers and our interests range from fundamental chemical physics to technological applications in material science and molecular medicine.

Watch Professor Knowles discuss his research

Take a tour of the Sir Rodney Sweetnam laboratory

Publications

Kinetic profiling of therapeutic strategies for inhibiting the formation of amyloid oligomers.
TCT Michaels, AJ Dear, SIA Cohen, M Vendruscolo, TPJ Knowles
– J Chem Phys
(2022)
156,
164904
(DOI: 10.1063/5.0077609)
Analytical solution to the Flory-Huggins model
D Qian, T Michaels, T Knowles
(2022)
(DOI: 10.1101/2022.04.23.489256)
Micromechanics of soft materials using microfluidics
Y Xu, H Zhu, Y Shen, APM Guttenplan, KL Saar, Y Lu, D Vigolo, LS Itzhaki, TPJ Knowles
– MRS Bulletin
(2022)
47,
119
(DOI: 10.1557/s43577-022-00279-5)
Microfluidic Antibody Affinity Profiling Reveals the Role of Memory Reactivation and Cross-Reactivity in the Defense Against SARS-CoV-2
V Denninger, CK Xu, G Meisl, AS Morgunov, S Fiedler, A Ilsley, M Emmenegger, AY Malik, MA Piziorska, MM Schneider, SRA Devenish, V Kosmoliaptsis, A Aguzzi, H Fiegler, TPJ Knowles
– ACS Infectious Diseases
(2022)
8,
790
(DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.1c00486)
Surface interaction patches link non-specific binding and phase separation of antibodies
H Ausserwöger, G Krainer, T Welsh, T Sneideris, M Schneider, G Invernizzi, T Herling, N Lorenzen, T Knowles
(2022)
(DOI: 10.1101/2022.03.07.483238)
Tie-lines reveal interactions driving heteromolecular condensate formation
D Qian, T Welsh, N Erkamp, S Qamar, J Nixon-Abell, G Krainer, PS George-Hyslop, T Michaels, T Knowles
(2022)
(DOI: 10.1101/2022.02.22.481401)
The pathological G51D mutation in alpha-synuclein oligomers confers distinct structural attributes and cellular toxicity
CK Xu, M Castellana-Cruz, SW Chen, Z Du, G Meisl, A Levin, B Mannini, LS Itzhaki, TPJ Knowles, CM Dobson, N Cremades, JR Kumita
– Molecules
(2022)
27,
1293
(DOI: 10.3390/molecules27041293)
Hsc70 mediated disaggregation of alpha-synuclein fibrils
MM Schneider, S Gautam, TW Herling, G Krainer, E Andrzejewska, A Bracher, CM Dobson, U Hartl, TP Knowles
– Biophysical Journal
(2022)
121,
22
(DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.11.2605)
Using microscopy techniques to structurally characterise TDP-43 inclusions present in mammalian cell models
NS Matharu, CW Chung, JR Kumita, GS Kaminski, TP Knowles
– Biophysical Journal
(2022)
121,
268A
(DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.11.1401)
Mechanism of secondary nucleation from the direct observation of A beta 42 aggregation at the single fibril level
MR Zimmermann, SC Bera, G Meisl, S Dasadhikari, S Ghosh, S Linse, K Garai, TPJ Knowles
– Biophysical Journal
(2022)
121,
443a
(DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.11.556)
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Co-Director

Research Interest Groups

Physical
Biological

Telephone number

01223 336344

Email address

College

St John's College

    Study at Cambridge

    About the University

    Research at Cambridge