Dr Aneika Leney
Supervisor Details
Research Interests
The Leney lab is interested in utilising state-of-the-art mass spectrometers to analyse proteins and protein complexes. Our research focuses on protein post-translational modifications and how they modulate protein function. Protein modifications can be detrimental to human health, for example hyper-phosphorylated proteins can be found in Alzheimer’s disease patients. However, protein modifications can also have interesting biotechnological applications, such as in dyes for use in the food and cosmetics industry.
Our research combines both development of novel techniques to analyse protein post-translational modifications and their application to solve complex biological problems.
Project Details
Dr Leney is supervisor on the below project:
Regulating light controlling switches in photosynthesis to mitigate the effects climate change
Secondary Supervisor(s): Prof Helen Cooper
University of Registration: University of Birmingham
BBSRC Research Themes:
- Renewable Resources and Clean Growth (Bio-energy,Industrial Biotechnology)
- Understanding the Rules of Life (Structural Biology)
No longer accepting applications
Project Outline
Carbon dioxide levels are increasing causing global warming. To prevent this, enhancing natural carbon sequestration is vital. Billions of years ago, cyanobacteria absorbed CO2 from the atmosphere, creating the oxygen levels needed to kick-start life as we know it on planet Earth. Could cyanobacteria again be the solution to combatting climate change?
Cyanobacteria are extremely effective at removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere due to their highly efficient photosynthetic machinery. However, photosynthesis within cyanobacteria is not always efficient and switches on and off according to what the cyanobacteria itself needs. Manipulating this machinery to enhance photosynthesis and carbon sequestration from the atmosphere is a challenge. Moreover, little is understood about how photosynthesis within cyanobacteria is controlled.
This PhD project will develop and utilise ground-breaking technology to work out why photosynthesis varies in efficiency and use this to determine how to make it more efficient. The project will involve working with colourful photosynthetic proteins and extracting these from cyanobacteria to determine how they function. Training in a wide range of biophysical techniques will be provided to help tackle the problem; one technique of focus being mass spectrometry, whereby the University of Birmingham has state-of-the-art facilities.
Although focussed primarily on photosynthesis, the PhD student will be integrated into a research environment whereby other researchers are utilising mass spectrometry to solve a variety of biological problems from drug discovery to cancer prevention and biomarker discovery. Options will be available to take on side projects in these areas throughout the PhD. Thus, after the PhD the researcher will have an excellent all-around knowledge in structural biology and have the ability to apply mass spectrometry to solve biological problems in any context, expanding their opportunities for future employment.
For more information and recent publications from the group, please refer to: https:www.leney-mass-spectrometry.com
Techniques
Structural mass spectrometry, liquid chromatography, SDS PAGE, fluorescence and UV-vis spectroscopy, protein purification, use of various bioinformatics tools. X-ray crystallography and cryoEM maybe used dependant on how the project progresses
Dr Leney is also the co-supervisor on a project with Prof Helen Cooper.
Previous Projects
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