Structural Biology of Protein Nanocompartments.

Bacterial nanocompartments (BNCs) are large protein assemblies comprising a hollow icosahedral multimeric protein cage which sequesters 'cargo' protein (often enzymes) inside. This studentship will use structural biology techniques (mass spectrometry, crystallography, and electron microscopy) to determine the stoichiometry, assembly pathways, and mechanism of formation of BNCs. Understanding these fascinating underpinning systems will allow their future manipulation as potential platforms for biotechnology, synthetic biology, and drug delivery.