Gregory R. Kowald MChem Chemical Biology Research Facility Department of Chemistry University of Warwick Coventry CV4 7AL Tel. +44 24 765 73822 g dot r dot kowald at warwick dot ac dot uk

PhD Project Title: -

"Structure and properties of earthworm metallothionein-2"

Outline: -

To develop and improve the methods used to isolate and characterise the three currently known metallothionein isoforms (wMT-1, wMT-2, wMT-3) in the earthworm Lumbricus rubellus, and to understand the chemical basis of the reactivity of metal ion clusters within earthworm metallothionein in general.

Work will include:

• Elucidation of structure (as close to native protein as possible) of wMT-2.
• Investigation of thermodynamics, specificity and affinities for binding metal ions of wMT-2.
• Investigation into the structural features of wMT-2, with comparison to similar metallothioneins.

Achievements: -

• Year 2 Departmental Poster Prize - 1st Place
  
• Year 3 Departmental Talk Prize - Runner-Up
  
• Metallomics 2011 Poster Prize - 1st Place