Professor of Protein Biochemistry, University of East Anglia.
My interests lie in the characterisation of enzymes that contain metal cofactors, principally enzymes involved in bacterial respiration. These include soluble cytoplasmic and periplasmic proteins, integral membrane proteins as well as extracellular membrane associated proteins that interact with the environment. In collaboration with colleagues in the Centre for Molecular and Structural Biochemistry, my research combines a broad range of biological, biochemical and biophysical techniques to explore protein-protein interactions, electron transfer between cofactors and the mechanism of enzyme catalysis.

The main research topic is sulfur metabolism in prokaryotes. Sulfur-metabolizing prokaryotes are of immense importance to the sulfur cycle in both terrestrial and marine habitats. In addition, inorganic sulfur compounds also play an important role in the microbial flora of the human gut. Our work focuses on the biochemical, biophysical and structural characterization of enzymes of bacterial sulfur metabolism not only from environmentally relevant prokaryotes but also from pathogens. Two model organisms, Hyphomicrobium denitrificans and Allochromatium vinosum were made accessible for genetic manipulation and systems biology approaches have been established through national and international collaborations (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics). Their combination allow an integrated understanding not only of sulfur and energy metabolism in sulfur-oxidizing bacteria.