Title    Reader   Contact    Life Sciences University of Warwick Coventry CV4 7AL Tel: 0247 652 2461 Email: Corinne.Smith@warwick.ac.uk WebLink: Structure and mechanism of molecular assemblies

Research Interests Interested in studying for a PhD in my lab? See PhD Opportunities for exciting opportunity in high resolution cryo-EM of clathrin networks! The research in my laboratory involves investigating the structure and mechanism of clathrin coated vesicle formation during clathrin-mediated endocytosis using a range of structural and biophysical techniques. Receptor-mediated endocytosis allows a cell to choose and absorb the substances it requires. During endocytosis a clathrin-coated vesicle is formed which contains only specifically selected cargo. The clathrin coat is central to the ability of the vesicle to choose its contents and we aim, through a combination of structural and biophysical analysis to determine the factors that control its formation and disassembly We are currently investigating how the molecular chaperone, Hsc70, and its cofactor auxilin, cause clathrin cage disassembly in vitro. We are using two approaches to investigate this. In the first we use 3D cryo-electron microscopy techniques to analyse the structure of purified clathrin cages bound to a range of proteins including Hsc70 and auxilin. In the second approach we monitor the kinetics of the process of clathrin cage disassembly using a range of biophysical techniques such as fluorescence anisotropy, stopped flow kinetics, isothermal titrating calorimetry and light scattering. We are now broadening our studies to investigate the part played by adaptor proteins and nucleotide exchange factors in the formation and disassembly of clathrin cage complexes. Dr Smith is the Director of the Advanced Bioimaging Research Technology Platform Manager: Dr Saskia Bakker
Biography PhD University of Bristol 1992 1992 - 1995 Post-doctoral Research Associate, University of Bristol 1995 - 1999 Research Associate, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge 1999 - 2002 Research associate and MRC Career Development Fellow, Birkbeck College, London 2002 - 2004 MRC Career Development Fellow, University of Warwick 2004 - 2007 Assistant Professor, University of Warwick 2007 - now Associate Professor, University of Warwick
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