Self-assembling virus-like particles
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Leeds
Department Name: Sch of Chemistry
Abstract
Nature has evolved proteins that can spontaneously self-assemble to create complex structures such as virus particles and molecular motors. These capsules and molecular machines typically have sizes of 10-100 nm and thus constitute ideal building blocks for nanotechnology. The fields of bionanoscience and synthetic biology are based on the concept that by combining biological building blocks with synthetic molecules it will be possible to construct novel nano-scale objects and machines that can do useful work. The applications of bionanoscience can range from targeted drug/gene delivery for healthcare to making nano-patterned surfaces for molecular electronics. In this project we will develop new strategies to self-assemble virus-like particles using naturally occurring proteins which will be linked together by synthetic molecules.
Organisations
- University of Leeds (Lead Research Organisation)
- EnGenes (Collaboration)
- University of Copenhagen (Collaboration)
- University of Orleans (Collaboration)
- Elicityl, Grenoble (Collaboration)
- Slovak Academy of Sciences (Collaboration)
- Utrecht University (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- National Center for Scientific Research (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique CNRS) (Collaboration)
- Wageningen University & Research (Collaboration)
- GlycoSeLect, Dublin (Collaboration)
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (Collaboration)
- Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg (Collaboration)
- Graz University of Technology (Collaboration)
- Wageningen University & Research (Project Partner)
Publications
Wehrum S
(2022)
Membrane Fusion Mediated by Non-covalent Binding of Re-engineered Cholera Toxin Assemblies to Glycolipids.
in ACS synthetic biology
Mahon C
(2017)
Molecular Recognition-Mediated Transformation of Single-Chain Polymer Nanoparticles into Crosslinked Polymer Films
in Angewandte Chemie
Branson T
(2014)
A Protein-Based Pentavalent Inhibitor of the Cholera Toxin B-Subunit
in Angewandte Chemie
Mandal PK
(2012)
Towards a structural basis for the relationship between blood group and the severity of El Tor cholera.
in Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)
Branson TR
(2014)
A protein-based pentavalent inhibitor of the cholera toxin B-subunit.
in Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)
Williamson DJ
(2012)
Efficient N-terminal labeling of proteins by use of sortase.
in Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)
Mahon CS
(2017)
Molecular Recognition-Mediated Transformation of Single-Chain Polymer Nanoparticles into Crosslinked Polymer Films.
in Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)
Fascione MA
(2012)
Stereoselective glycosylations using oxathiane spiroketal glycosyl donors.
in Carbohydrate research
Bernardi A
(2013)
Multivalent glycoconjugates as anti-pathogenic agents.
in Chemical Society reviews
Branson TR
(2013)
Bacterial toxin inhibitors based on multivalent scaffolds.
in Chemical Society reviews
| Description | novel inhibitors of bacterial toxins that cause diarrhoea. methods to assemble functional proteins into capsules. |
| Exploitation Route | Further funding will be sought in collaboration with industrial partners |
| Sectors | Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
| Description | BBSRC DTP summer studentship |
| Amount | £2,500 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 07/2016 |
| End | 08/2016 |
| Description | BBSRC Follow-on-Fund |
| Amount | £199,902 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | BB/R005540/1 |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 05/2018 |
| End | 10/2019 |
| Description | EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account |
| Amount | £5,200 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 07/2016 |
| End | 08/2016 |
| Description | ERASynBio |
| Amount | £1,603,900 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | BB/M005666/1 |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2014 |
| End | 09/2017 |
| Description | Marie Sklodowska Curie Individual Fellowship |
| Amount | € 183,455 (EUR) |
| Funding ID | 746421 |
| Organisation | European Union |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | European Union (EU) |
| Start | 04/2018 |
| End | 03/2020 |
| Description | White Rose BBSRC DTP Industrial CASE |
| Amount | £100,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 10/2017 |
| End | 09/2021 |
| Description | SynGlycTis |
| Organisation | Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Sharing of facilities, samples and expertise |
| Collaborator Contribution | Providing detailed research methodologies and hosting researchers to perform specific experiments |
| Impact | new methods for formation of prototissues and delivery of quantum dots into brain cells Funding for a Royal Society Theo Murphy International Meeting Funding for an EU Marie Sklodowska-Curie Initial Trainin network (synBIOcarb |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | SynGlycTis |
| Organisation | Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology |
| Country | Austria |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Sharing of facilities, samples and expertise |
| Collaborator Contribution | Providing detailed research methodologies and hosting researchers to perform specific experiments |
| Impact | new methods for formation of prototissues and delivery of quantum dots into brain cells Funding for a Royal Society Theo Murphy International Meeting Funding for an EU Marie Sklodowska-Curie Initial Trainin network (synBIOcarb |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | SynGlycTis |
| Organisation | National Center for Scientific Research (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique CNRS) |
| Department | Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Grenoble |
| Country | France |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Sharing of facilities, samples and expertise |
| Collaborator Contribution | Providing detailed research methodologies and hosting researchers to perform specific experiments |
| Impact | new methods for formation of prototissues and delivery of quantum dots into brain cells Funding for a Royal Society Theo Murphy International Meeting Funding for an EU Marie Sklodowska-Curie Initial Trainin network (synBIOcarb |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | SynGlycTis |
| Organisation | University of Copenhagen |
| Country | Denmark |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Sharing of facilities, samples and expertise |
| Collaborator Contribution | Providing detailed research methodologies and hosting researchers to perform specific experiments |
| Impact | new methods for formation of prototissues and delivery of quantum dots into brain cells Funding for a Royal Society Theo Murphy International Meeting Funding for an EU Marie Sklodowska-Curie Initial Trainin network (synBIOcarb |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | bacterial toxin inhibitors |
| Organisation | Utrecht University |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | synthesis of modified proteins; biophysical analysis |
| Collaborator Contribution | synthesis of carbohydrates and multivalent dendrimers |
| Impact | Novel pentavalent inhibitors of bacterial toxins. publications listed elsewhere in research fish. Synthetic chemistry; protein engineering; biophysical analysis |
| Start Year | 2009 |
| Description | bacterial toxin inhibitors |
| Organisation | Wageningen University & Research |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | synthesis of modified proteins; biophysical analysis |
| Collaborator Contribution | synthesis of carbohydrates and multivalent dendrimers |
| Impact | Novel pentavalent inhibitors of bacterial toxins. publications listed elsewhere in research fish. Synthetic chemistry; protein engineering; biophysical analysis |
| Start Year | 2009 |
| Description | synBIOcarb ITN |
| Organisation | Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We coordinate a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Initial Training Network involving all of these partners which is training 15 Early Stage Researchers in the filed of Synthetic Glycobiology |
| Collaborator Contribution | Hosting training events and secondments |
| Impact | multidisciplinary collaboration spanning synthetic chemistry, protein engineering, cell biology, industrial biotechnology |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | synBIOcarb ITN |
| Organisation | Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology |
| Country | Austria |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | We coordinate a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Initial Training Network involving all of these partners which is training 15 Early Stage Researchers in the filed of Synthetic Glycobiology |
| Collaborator Contribution | Hosting training events and secondments |
| Impact | multidisciplinary collaboration spanning synthetic chemistry, protein engineering, cell biology, industrial biotechnology |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | synBIOcarb ITN |
| Organisation | Elicityl, Grenoble |
| Country | France |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | We coordinate a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Initial Training Network involving all of these partners which is training 15 Early Stage Researchers in the filed of Synthetic Glycobiology |
| Collaborator Contribution | Hosting training events and secondments |
| Impact | multidisciplinary collaboration spanning synthetic chemistry, protein engineering, cell biology, industrial biotechnology |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | synBIOcarb ITN |
| Organisation | EnGenes |
| Country | Austria |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | We coordinate a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Initial Training Network involving all of these partners which is training 15 Early Stage Researchers in the filed of Synthetic Glycobiology |
| Collaborator Contribution | Hosting training events and secondments |
| Impact | multidisciplinary collaboration spanning synthetic chemistry, protein engineering, cell biology, industrial biotechnology |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | synBIOcarb ITN |
| Organisation | GlycoSeLect, Dublin |
| Country | Ireland |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | We coordinate a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Initial Training Network involving all of these partners which is training 15 Early Stage Researchers in the filed of Synthetic Glycobiology |
| Collaborator Contribution | Hosting training events and secondments |
| Impact | multidisciplinary collaboration spanning synthetic chemistry, protein engineering, cell biology, industrial biotechnology |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | synBIOcarb ITN |
| Organisation | Graz University of Technology |
| Country | Austria |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We coordinate a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Initial Training Network involving all of these partners which is training 15 Early Stage Researchers in the filed of Synthetic Glycobiology |
| Collaborator Contribution | Hosting training events and secondments |
| Impact | multidisciplinary collaboration spanning synthetic chemistry, protein engineering, cell biology, industrial biotechnology |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | synBIOcarb ITN |
| Organisation | Slovak Academy of Sciences |
| Country | Slovakia |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | We coordinate a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Initial Training Network involving all of these partners which is training 15 Early Stage Researchers in the filed of Synthetic Glycobiology |
| Collaborator Contribution | Hosting training events and secondments |
| Impact | multidisciplinary collaboration spanning synthetic chemistry, protein engineering, cell biology, industrial biotechnology |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | synBIOcarb ITN |
| Organisation | University of Copenhagen |
| Country | Denmark |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We coordinate a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Initial Training Network involving all of these partners which is training 15 Early Stage Researchers in the filed of Synthetic Glycobiology |
| Collaborator Contribution | Hosting training events and secondments |
| Impact | multidisciplinary collaboration spanning synthetic chemistry, protein engineering, cell biology, industrial biotechnology |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | synBIOcarb ITN |
| Organisation | University of Orleans |
| Country | France |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We coordinate a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Initial Training Network involving all of these partners which is training 15 Early Stage Researchers in the filed of Synthetic Glycobiology |
| Collaborator Contribution | Hosting training events and secondments |
| Impact | multidisciplinary collaboration spanning synthetic chemistry, protein engineering, cell biology, industrial biotechnology |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Chair of COST Action CM1102 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | leading a COST Action Network in multivalent glycosystems for nanoscience . Awarding Body - European Science Foundation, Name of Scheme - COST my work leading this network has led to many collaborative papers and proposals throughout the European carbohydrate community |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011,2012,2013,2014 |
| Description | Complex Life of Sugars |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | stimulated the public's awareness of the importance of glycoscience enthused several of my students to participate in further outreach eevnts |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013,2014 |
| Description | I'm A Scientist - get me out of here! (TRB) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | on line chat room activities stimulated discussion. Student supported by the grant won the Drug Development zone competition based on votes from participating school children school children enthused by science and voted for the student supported on the grant to be the winner of this national public engagement competition |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Mechanism of an unexpected oxidation reaction |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | paper presentation |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | lecture describing mechanistic studies on a carbohydrate-modifying reaction. enquiry from student to join my lab |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | Reengineering Bacterial Toxins for New Purposes |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | dissemination of results at international conferences |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015,2016,2017,2018,2019 |
| Description | Synthetic Biology - A Brave New World? |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A talk on synthetic biology presented to three Cafes Scientifiques; Leeds Skeptics Group; Humanist Society of West Yorkshire. Each time I have given this lecture, it has led to a further invitation to speak on this subject to another audience |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2010,2012 |
| Description | The Self-Assembly of Nanoarchitectures via Protein-Ligand Interactions (TRB) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | keynote/invited speaker |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Poster describing the results of the project. poster identified as a top 10% poster at the international conference |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Understanding, Inhibiting and Exploiting Bacterial Toxins |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | keynote/invited speaker |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | A research talk outlining the methods we have developed to make site specific chemical modifications on bacterial toxins. further invitations to talk and to participate in grant applications |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011,2012,2013,2014,2015 |