Professor Neil Ranson

Profile

After studying for a Biochemistry degree, I stayed on to do my PhD in Mechanistic Enzymology at the University of Bristol with Professor Tony Clarke, working to understand how the molecular chaperones GroEL and GroES assist the folding of other proteins in the crowded environment of the cell. I then cross-trained into structural biology, working with Professor Helen Saibil at Birbkeck College London. I came to Leeds as a University Research Fellow in 2002, and have been a Lecturer and Associate Professor en route to my current role.

Responsibilities

• Director, The Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology
• Director of Electron Microscopy, Astbury Biostructure Laboratory

Research interests

Fundamentally, I'm interested in the structure of macromolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids, and the dynamic, heterogeneous complexes they make, which drive biological function. A major interest of my lab is in structural virology and we are investigating all aspects of virus structure using cryo-electron microscopy, including virus structures, virus assembly and uncoating and virus-receptor interactions. We are currently working on a wide range of different viral pathogens that are important for food security and human health.

My lab also retains a strong interest in protein folding studies, and we are working to understand how proteins are folded into membranes, and how protein misfolding goes wrong to produce amyloidoses.

• A community-based training programme for cryo-electron microscopy
• Action in solution: Embedding new technology and new capability in Biomolecular Interactions in the University of Leeds
• Breaking the Barrier: Mapping protein interactions in the bacterial outer membrane as targets for new antimicrobials
• Delivery and clearance of outer membrane proteins to the bacterial outer membrane
• Mass spectrometry infrastructure for in-cell structural biology
• State of the art electron detection for cyoEM at the Astbury Biostructure Laboratories
• Structural & Functional Investigations Of A Murderous Enzyme in a Native-like Context
• Towards the development of entry inhibitors of BK polyomavirus to treat PVAN

Qualifications

• BSc, PhD 1997, Bristol

Student education

• Faculty Graduate School
• FindaPhD Project details:
  • Project 39243

Projects

<li><a href="//phd.leeds.ac.uk/project/1930-delivery-and-misdelivery-of-outer-membrane-proteins-to-the-bam-complex-using-cryoem">Delivery and misdelivery of outer membrane proteins to the BAM complex using cryoEM</a></li>