I passed the MOAC MSc with distinction in September 2009, below is a description of the three linked mini-projects I undertook during the MSc that formed a basis for my PhD project.

MSc Mini-projects

I did three linked miniprojects titled Structure and Function Studies of Acetolactate Decarboxylase.

Synthesis of potential substrates and substrate analogues

Miniproject 1 was based in Chemistry and was supervised by Prof. Martin Wills, the aim of the project was to synthesise a series of compounds that are analogues of acetolacate, the substrate of ALDC. Four substrate analogues were synthesised and were used in the second miniproject.

Co-crystallisation and Kinetic Analysis

Miniproject 2 was based in Biology and was supervised by Prof. Vilmos Fulop, during this project I crystallised ALDC in the presence of the substrate analogues that I had made in miniproject 1

Modelling and Docking Studies

Miniproject 3 was based in Computational Chemistry and was supervised by Prof. Mark Rodger, the aim of this project was to characterise the ALDC binding site using molecular dynamics and docking studies.