Canada: Membrane protein technologies for drug discovery
Lead Research Organisation:
Aston University
Department Name: Sch of Life and Health Sciences
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Publications
Abir-Awan M
(2019)
Inhibitors of Mammalian Aquaporin Water Channels.
in International journal of molecular sciences
Al-Jubair T
(2022)
High-yield overproduction and purification of human aquaporins from Pichia pastoris.
in STAR protocols
Al-Jubair T
(2022)
Characterization of human aquaporin protein-protein interactions using microscale thermophoresis (MST).
in STAR protocols
Alexander SP
(2021)
THE CONCISE GUIDE TO PHARMACOLOGY 2021/22: Ion channels.
in British journal of pharmacology
Bill R
(2021)
Aquaporins - Expression, purification and characterization
in Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Biomembranes
Bill RM
(2018)
Recombinant Membrane Protein Methods.
in Methods (San Diego, Calif.)
Bill RM
(2019)
Analyzing Recombinant Protein Production in Pichia pastoris with Targeted Proteomics.
in Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)
Clarke-Bland CE
(2022)
Emerging roles for AQP in mammalian extracellular vesicles.
in Biochimica et biophysica acta. Biomembranes
Dilworth MV
(2018)
Microbial expression systems for membrane proteins.
in Methods (San Diego, Calif.)
Ishida H
(2022)
Simultaneous binding of the N- and C-terminal cytoplasmic domains of aquaporin 4 to calmodulin.
in Biochimica et biophysica acta. Biomembranes
| Description | We have used this award to consolidate and maximize our research collaborations with colleagues at the University of Calgary. We visited the CDRD Drug Discovery Initiative in Vancouver in May 2018 to build on these collaborations. We were also granted access to a drug screening library from LifeArc. We are currently raising funding for an pilot clinical trial. We published the key findings of this work in the journal, Cell |
| Exploitation Route | We aim to develop frameworks for future drug discovery. We have therefore set up a company called 'Estuar Ltd' to facilitate this process. We are working with Aston's Technology Transfer Office to achieve this. We have also undertaken a campaign to raise funds through our alumni office: https://www2.aston.ac.uk/alumni/make-a-gift/brain |
| Sectors | Healthcare,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
| URL | https://www2.aston.ac.uk/alumni/make-a-gift/brain |
| Description | We have spun out a company from Aston University to support drug discovery for CNS oedema. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2022 |
| Sector | Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
| Impact Types | Economic |
| Description | 17-ERACoBioTech - MEmbrane Modulation for BiopRocess enhANcEment - MeMBrane |
| Amount | £632,794 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | BB/R02152X/1 |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 05/2018 |
| End | 04/2021 |
| Description | Aston University 50th Anniversary Prize Fellowship Scheme |
| Amount | £100,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Aston University |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2019 |
| End | 12/2020 |
| Description | Aston University Studentship |
| Amount | £100,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Aston University |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 10/2017 |
| End | 09/2023 |
| Description | COFUND PhD programme, MemTrain |
| Amount | € 1,952,640 (EUR) |
| Funding ID | 847419 |
| Organisation | European Commission |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | European Union (EU) |
| Start | 05/2019 |
| End | 04/2024 |
| Description | Combined targeting of oedema and neuronal plasticity as a new therapeutic framework to treat ischaemic stroke |
| Amount | £298,966 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | TCS/22/32 |
| Organisation | Chief Scientist Office |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 05/2023 |
| End | 06/2025 |
| Company Name | Estuar Pharmaceuticals |
| Description | Estuar Pharmaceuticals is a pre-clinical stage, drug development company looking to revolutionise the standard of care for patients suffering from brain oedema, building on the research outcomes from my team. Estuar was formally spun out of Aston University in January 2022. I am the Chief Scientific Officer. Estuar has an initial valuation of £1-1.5M. |
| Year Established | 2020 |
| Impact | Early stage investment from external partners has just begun. |
| Description | Formation of Aston Centre for Membrane Protein & Lipid Research (AMPL) |
| 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 | The Aston Centre for Membrane Protein & Lipid Research (AMPL) is a collaborative team of six principal investigators in biochemistry, pharmacology, protein/lipid chemistry and polymer science. We study the structure and function of membrane proteins and associated lipids, using interdisciplinary approaches and our novel technologies. Our aim is to understand the molecular basis of how cells communicate with their environment and each other, facilitating drug discovery for patient benefit and driving advances in industrial biotechnology. Membrane proteins are the targets of 60% of all pharmaceutical drugs including all top 10 selling prescription drugs, as well as targets for breeding drought- and disease-tolerant crops and generating new industrial microorganisms. Our activities to date show our ability and expertise in creating synergistic projects over a range of scales with demonstrable real-world impact. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019,2020 |
| URL | https://www2.aston.ac.uk/lhs/research/centres-facilities/molecular-biomedical-research/ampl |
| Description | School Visit (Oxford) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | On 7th December, 2017, I spoke at Oxford High School's Biomedical Society, which is organized and run by sixth form students. I presented my team's work on aquaporin regulation. I received a letter of thanks from the Head of Biology, 'I just wanted to write to thank you for the quite brilliant talk you gave to our students last week. I thought it was perfectly pitched and linked beautifully to a number of our A-level topics. The detail on the mechanism of how aquaporins achieve selectivity was quite mind-blowing. Just wonderful! I was wondering whether it would be possible to have a copy of your slide show? Or if not a full copy, some of the images and video clips? They would make super resources for some of our lessons. Once again, many thanks. The girls were enthused and stimulated in equal measure, as were the staff!' |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Visit to the Centre for Drug Research and Development, Vancouver, and University of Calgary |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The investigator team and our collaborators visited the Centre for Drug Research and Development, Vancouver, and University of Calgary to discuss a translational pathway to develop treatments for disorders of water imbalance. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |