I lead a research group in the Biomolecular Sciences Research Centre, funded by external agencies such as the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), and the Biochemical Society. Our common theme is investigating how proteins and RNA are delivered to their correct destination within cells, a universal process that can result in disease when it malfunctions.

To analyse protein locations we use techniques such as protein expression, cellular fractionation, and confocal fluorescence microscopy. Our work has generated publications in international science journals, and we present our work at international conferences. The research group also supports undergraduate students in their first experience of professional research, which is particularly valuable for progressing to postgraduate education.

Current research projects are:

• Viroid trafficking in plant cells: determining the mechanisms of RNA import into the chloroplast, which is a crucial step in the lifecycle of viroids.
• Membrane proteins in translational control: characterisation of membrane-bound protein complexes associated with eIF2B, which regulates protein synthesis, and is important in neurological disease.
• Tail-anchored membrane proteins: investigating the targeting and membrane insertion mechanisms, which is important due to the wide range of core cellular functions performed by these proteins.

My research is conducted in collaboration with other members of the research centre and several external researchers:

• Dr Neil Boonham (Food and Environment Research Agency, York) to investigate the chloroplast import of viroid RNA
• Dr Caroline Bowsher (University of Manchester) to implement competitive targeting assays to chloroplasts and mitochondria
• Prof Stephen High (University of Manchester) to implement competitive targeting assays to ER membranes using plant components
• Dr Alexei Nabok (Materials and Engineering Research Institute, SHU) to apply ellipsometry analysis to membrane protein interactions
• Prof William Skach (Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, USA) to use photo-activated crosslinkers for the study of oil bodies
• Dr John Ward (Loughborough University) to conduct mathematical modelling of protein targeting
• Dr Jason Young (McGill University, Canada) to investigate the role of chaperones and chaperone receptors in TA protein targeting