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Carver Group
We use a variety of spectroscopic, biophysical and protein chemical techniques to study molecular chaperone proteins and their mechanism of stabilising other proteins, for example those involved in diseases of protein aggregation (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, cataract etc.). NMR spectroscopy is the principal technique used to characterise these interactions.
- G.K.A. Hochberg, H. Ecroyd, C. Liu, D. Cox, D. Cascio, M.R. Sawaya, M.P. Collier, J. Stroud, J.A. Carver, A.J. Baldwin, C.V. Robinson, D. Eisenberg, J.L.P. Benesch and A. Laganowsky. A structured core domain of aB-crystallin can prevent amyloid fibrillation and associated toxicity. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 111, E1562-1570 (2014).
- G. Esposito, M. Garvey, V. Alverdi, F. Pettirossi, A. Corazza, F. Fogolari, M. Polano, P.P. Mangione, S. Giorgetti, M. Stoppini, A. Rekas, V. Bellotti, A.J.R. Heck and J.A. Carver. Monitoring the interaction between b2-microglobulin and the molecular chaperone aB-crystallin by NMR and mass spectrometry. aB-Crystallin dissociates b2-microglobulin oligomers. J. Biol. Chem. 288, 17844-17858 (2013).
- C. Holt, J.A. Carver, H. Ecroyd and D.C. Thorn. Caseins and the casein micelle: their biological functions, structures and behavior in foods. J. Dairy Sci. 96, 6127-6146 (2013).
- C. Holt and J.A. Carver. Darwinian transformation of a ‘scarcely nutritious fluid’ into milk. J. Evol. Biol. 25, 1253-1263 (2012).
- S.L. Shammas, C.A. Waudby, S. Wang, A.K. Buell, H. Ecroyd, M.E. Welland, J.A. Carver, C.M. Dobson and S. Meehan. Binding of the molecular chaperone aB-crystallin to Ab amyloid fibrils inhibits elongation. Biophys. J. 101, 1681-1689 (2011).
- D.M. Williams, H. Ecroyd, K.L. Goodwin, H. Dai, H. Fu, J.M. Woodcock, L. Zhang and J.A. Carver. NMR spectroscopy of 14-3-3z reveals a flexible C-terminal extension. Differentiation of the chaperone and phosphoserine binding affinities of 14-3-3z. Biochem. J. 437, 493-503 (2011).
- A.L. Robertson, S.J. Headey, H.M. Saunders, H. Ecroyd, M.J. Scanlon, J.A. Carver and S.P. Bottomley. Small heat-shock proteins inhibit polyglutamine aggregation by interactions with a flanking domain. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 107, 10424-10429 (2010).
- S.A. Hudson, H. Ecroyd, T.W. Kee and J.A. Carver. The thioflavin T fluorescence assay for amyloid fibril detection is biased by the presence of chromophoric compounds. FEBS J. 276, 5960-5972 (2009).
- H. Ecroyd and J.A. Carver. Crystallin proteins and amyloid fibrils. Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 66, 62-81 (2009).
- S. Meehan, T.P. Knowles, A.J. Baldwin, J.F. Smith, A.M. Squires, P. Clements, T.M. Treweek, H. Ecroyd, G.G. Tartaglia, M, Vendruscolo, C.E. MacPhee, C.M. Dobson and J.A. Carver. Characterisation of amyloid fibril formation by small heat-shock chaperone proteins, human aA-, aB- and R120G aB-crystallins. J. Mol. Biol. 372, 470-484 (2007).
- H. Ecroyd, S. Meehan, J. Horwitz, J.A. Aquilina, J.L.P. Benesch, C.V. Robinson, C.E. MacPhee and J.A. Carver. Mimicking phosphorylation of aB-crystallin affects its chaperone activity. Biochem. J. 401, 129-141 (2007).
- D.C. Thorn, S. Meehan, M. Sunde, A. Rekas, S.L. Gras, C.E. MacPhee, C.M. Dobson, M.R. Wilson and J.A. Carver. Amyloid fibril formation by bovine milk k-casein and its inhibition by the molecular chaperones as- and b-casein. Biochemistry 44, 17027-17036 (2005).
About the Battery Storage and Grid Integration Program
Established in April 2018 the Battery Storage and Grid Integration Program (BSGIP) undertakes socio-techno-economic research, development and demonstration activities that support the global energy transition and help achieve economy-wide decarbonisation.Work within the program encompasses detailed disciplinary work on components of the global energy system and on how we integrate these components together to support energy transition and decarbonisation. Staff within the Program have broad expertise that includes engineering, chemistry, computer sciences, physics, economics and the social sciences. The Program places a strong focus on translational research which is defined as simultaneously advancing the body of knowledge and advancing the practice in the field.Hosted within The Australian National University by the School of Engineering (within the College of Engineering and Computer Science) and the Research School of Chemistry (within the College of Science), the Program comprises more than 50 staff and students with diverse academic, industry, gender and cultural backgrounds. The Program is funded by the ACT Government through the Renewable Energy Innovation Fund initiative, the Australian National University, and through project funding from various industry partners and grant bodies.Work led through the Research School of Chemistry focuses on materials, battery technologies and characterisation. Researchers are designing, building and characterising new battery storage devices, based on a fundamental understanding of different chemical and material behaviours. They are also exploring opportunities for battery recycling, reuse and failure analysis based on characterisation capabilities. Find out more: Battery Storage and Grid Integration Program – An initiative of the Australian National University (bsgip.com)
