The effects of drug and lipid binding on the structure and function of membrane proteins in health and disease

Membrane-spanning proteins lie at the heart of many human diseases and constitute important drug targets, but little is currently known about the importance of their interactions with the lipid bilayer to their normal function. Professor Robinson plans to use mass spectrometry to investigate whether specific lipid-binding sites exist on membrane proteins and whether they have a major effect on the behaviour and stability of membrane proteins. Professor Robinson also aims to study the potential role of post-translational modifications of membrane proteins in regulating their function and interactions with the lipid bilayer.