About YSBL
The YSBL is a vibrant research group of around 70-80 staff focussed around eight academic staff, including joint appointments with Biology, and approximately four independent Research Fellows (Royal Society / Wellcome Trust). Very roughly, research in YSBL can be categorised under three main headings:
- Structural Biology : the determination of the structure(s) of proteins and their complexes with other proteins, nucleic acids and ligands. Increasing use of high throughput technologies means that many hundreds of different proteins are under study at any one time, with the targets selected on the basis of their biochemical or biological function. In addition, there is great expertise in York in the protein chemistry and crystallisation for tackling challenging proteins, such as multi-molecular complexes or membrane proteins. When integrated with exploration of the cell and molecular biology of the targets, the structural work is providing major insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying biological function.
- Chemical Biology and Biological Chemistry: the group has considerable strength in the probing the chemistry of biological processes in areas such as structural enzymology, reaction mechanisms and fundamental studies of molecular interactions. There is also growing interest in biocatalysis: the discovery, optimisation and exploitation of enzymes for chemical synthesis. In addition, the group is using structure based methods to design ligands to act as chemical tools to disrupt and probe the biology of specific proteins and pathways.
- Crystallographic Methods: York is world renowned for the development of the experimental and in particular computational methods used by crystallographers worldwide. This includes new approaches in molecular replacement and refinement (MOLREP, REFMAC) as well as increased streamlining model building into electron density (QUANTA and COOT). York is also a major centre for the UK collaborative effort in crystallographic computing, CCP4
History: Protein structural research was established at York in 1976 with the arrival of Eleanor and Guy Dodson. Rod Hubbard and Keith Wilson were appointed in 1983 as lecturers and together this team began the build-up of research into the development and application of the methods of protein structural analysis. During the 1980s, the laboratory grew significantly through funding from Novo Nordisk (now Novozymes A/S) and the SERC Protein Engineering Initiative. The stature of the work was recognised through unique Consolidated Award funding from the SERC (BBSRC) and Tony Wilkinson's appointment to a lectureship position in 1989. During the 1990s, the laboratory was the major research group on campus. In 1993, Guy Dodson left to set up the, now world renowned, structural biology unit at Mill Hill. YSBL continued to flourish, becoming a BBSRC Structural Biology Centre with considerable funding from the research councils and industry. By 2000, YSBL had developed into a group of 80 people covering molecular biology, protein crystallography and molecular modelling. The pre-eminence of York for protein crystallography was recognised through the election of both Guy (1994) and Eleanor (2002) as FRS.