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来研究气溶素/毒素/毒素_10孔形成蛋白超家族的关键成员的功能。孔的形成是一种普遍存在的机制，被所有界用来防御入侵的生物。该项目的预期成果包括开发新技术，广泛地研究组装过程中的成孔蛋白。这个项目应该有利于更广泛的研究界，提高我们的理解成孔蛋白作为潜在的害虫控制剂。

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.