Research and scholarship
Research and scholarship
The Winter lab has a longstanding interest in conducting science in an area that is helpful to the community – drug research to prevent or cure diseases and investigating the interaction between the human host and viruses or parasites. Our research is focused on proteins, studying their molecular makeup, investigating how they interact with other proteins and how these interactions can be targeted through drug discovery.
The lab employs biochemical and biophysical techniques such as crystallography, small angle scattering, interface techniques using model membranes, CD, fluorescence spectroscopy, DSF, SPR, as well as protein expression and purification and cell-based assays. Our lab is also interested in compound design, molecular docking and comparative modelling which often supports and completes work done in the wet lab.
Molecular interactions between pathogens and host receptors
Characterizing the interactions between pathogens and host proteins are a main focus of our work, such as the interactions between Dengue virus and host factors or the expression profile of potential Dengue receptor protein in mosquito cells. The lab has potential projects available investigating other human viruses such as Chikungunya.
Complex formation of prohibitins in the mitochondrial membrane
Prohibitins are involved in cell homeostasis and form many interactions with other proteins within the cell (such as mitochondrial AAA-protease) as well as outside (e.g. viral envelope proteins), and are therefore of great interest to a wide scientific audience. Our work is currently focussed on determining the structure of prohibitins as well as investigating their interaction with the mitochondrial membrane using neutron and X-ray scattering and interface techniques.
Targeting visceral leishmaniasis
Interactions of the human host with parasites at a molecular level is one focus area of the research group. Leishmaniasis is a devastating parasitic disease that affects millions of people world-wide. In collaboration with other groups the Winter lab is carrying out drug discovery on potential targets in Leishmania donovani using biochemical techniques and medicinal chemistry approaches.
Computational biology
The Winter lab supports structural work with molecular modelling of
unknown protein structures and virtual docking of fragments and small
molecules into proteins.
Visit Dr Anja Winter's website for more information about current research.