Molecular characterisation of pore-forming proteins as pest control agents

本项目旨在利用蛋白质工程、结构生物学和生物化学等手段，对气溶素/epsilon毒素/Toxin_10成孔蛋白超家族的关键成员进行功能表征。孔隙形成是一种普遍存在的机制，被所有王国用来防御入侵的生物。该项目的预期结果包括开发新的技术，广泛地研究组装途径中的孔隙形成蛋白。通过提高我们对孔隙形成蛋白作为潜在害虫防治剂的理解，该项目应该对更广泛的研究界有益。

This project aims to utilise protein engineering, structural biology, and biochemistry to characterise the function of key members of the aerolysin/epsilon toxin/Toxin_10 pore-forming protein superfamily. Pore formation is a ubiquitous mechanism deployed by all kingdoms as defences against invading organisms. The expected outcomes of this project include the development of novel techniques aimed, broadly, at studying pore-forming proteins during the assembly pathway. This project should be of benefit to the wider research community by improving our understanding of pore-forming proteins as potential pest control agents.