1. Faculty of Biological Sciences
  2. School of Molecular and Cellular Biology
  3. People
  4. Profile

Prof. Frank Sobott

  • Position: Chair in Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry
  • Areas of expertise: mass spectrometry; protein structure; biomolecular analysis; structural biology; native MS; ion mobility; HDX; FPOP; chromatography; proteomics; oligonucleotides; protein interactions
  • Email: F.Sobott@leeds.ac.uk
  • Phone: +44(0)113 343 2576
  • Location: 6.58 Garstang
  • Website: Website at University of Antwerp

Profile

I obtained my PhD at the Goethe University in Frankfurt/M (Germany) in 2000 in Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, developing new mass spectrometry instrumentation and applications. After a 4-month stay at a Research Centre in Japan (Tsukuba), I joined the group of Dame Carol Robinson as a postdoctoral fellow at Oxford (2000-2001) and Cambridge (2001-2004) working on the analysis of large protein complexes.

In 2004 I returned to Oxford in order to take up senior research roles in the Structural Genomics Consortium, the Centre for Integrative Systems Biology and the Centre for Gene Function, and as PI in the Biochemistry department. At the end of 2009, I became associate professor at the University of Antwerp in Belgium, where I headed the Biomolecular & Analytical Mass Spectrometry group and coordinated the Center for Proteomics, with the title of Francqui Research Professor.

Since Feb. 2017, I am at Leeds as Chair of Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and member of the Astbury Centre, while retaining a 10% visiting professorship at Antwerp where part of my group is currently still based.

Research interests

My research focuses on the structural analysis of noncovalently bound, supramolecular systems and functional assemblies of biomolecules.

The group is developing new methods and instrumentation for the analysis of multi-component, heterogeneous and dynamic assemblies based on mass spectrometry, ion mobility and associated techniques.

We apply these tools in a highly interdisciplinary context to research questions from chemistry, biology and medicine.

<h4>Research projects</h4> <p>Some research projects I'm currently working on, or have worked on, will be listed below. Our list of all <a href="https://biologicalsciences.leeds.ac.uk/dir/research-projects">research projects</a> allows you to view and search the full list of projects in the faculty.</p>

Qualifications

  • PhD Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
  • Diploma Chemistry
<h4>Postgraduate research opportunities</h4> <p>We welcome enquiries from motivated and qualified applicants from all around the world who are interested in PhD study. Our <a href="https://phd.leeds.ac.uk">research opportunities</a> allow you to search for projects and scholarships.</p>
Projects
    <li><a href="//phd.leeds.ac.uk/project/1915-machine-learning-and-molecular-modelling-in-mass-spectrometry">Machine Learning and Molecular Modelling in Mass Spectrometry</a></li> <li><a href="//phd.leeds.ac.uk/project/675-next-generation-protein-engineering:-integration-of-ab-initio-modelling,-high-throughput-screening-and-structural-fingerprinting-by-mass-spectrometry">Next-generation protein engineering: integration of ab-initio modelling, high-throughput screening and structural fingerprinting by mass spectrometry</a></li>