Current Lab
Erika Mancini
Reader in Biomedical Structural Biology
Email: erika.mancini@sussex.ac.uk
I started my scientific career in Italy with a Degree in Physics and I carried out my doctoral research in Cryo-Electron Microscopy at the European Molecular Biology Institute in Heidelberg, Germany. I took a PhD in Crystallography from Birkbeck College following which I held an EMBO postdoctoral fellow at Oxford University. Whilst in Oxford I was awarded a Royal Society University Research Fellowship that allowed me to start my own independent group. During the time in Oxford I was awarded an MRC New Investigator award and I became Hugh Price Fellow in Medicine at Jesus College as well as an Associate Professor at the Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine. In 2015 I joined the School of Life Sciences at the University of Sussex as a Reader in Biomedical Structural Biology
Alessandro Agnarelli
PhD student
Email: alessandro.agnarelli@sussex.ac.uk
My work focuses on protein protein interactions involved in multiple myeloma, an aggressive and incurable cancer of plasma cells. Using a range of biochemical and biophysical techniques (including ChIP-Sequencing, X-ray cristallography), my aim is to target the aberrant transcriptional network to subvert multiple myeloma.
Outside the lab, I like to go out with my friends, play volleyball, football, basketball, watch science fiction and horror movies.
Muzaffar Ali
Marie Sklodowska Curie Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Email: Muzaffar.Ali@sussex.ac.uk
I am a MSCA postdoctoral research fellow (SFSASP project number 660349) . My work focuses on understanding the structure-function relation of chromatin associated proteins. I am particularly interested in SWI/SNF2 type ATPase proteins that are known as chromatin remodellers. Using X-ray crystallography and other biophysical methods, my aim is to understand the molecular mechanism of how these proteins work and interact with other partner proteins to bring about a certain effector function. I am also looking into how post-translational modifications regulate these protein-protein interactions.
At times when I am not in lab, I like to go out to Brighton beach (on sunny days !), play badminton, squash, football, cricket, chess, watch movies. Partying and going out are yet other favourite pastimes.
Tatiana Bruxelles
PhD student
Email: T.Bruxelles@sussex.ac.uk
I am a Sussex Life Science/Diamond Light Source PhD student, jointly supervised by Dr Mancini and Dr Fleig (Diamond Light Source, IO4). My PhD work focuses on the characterization of Chromatin Remodelling ATPases by integrative structural biology techniques including CryoEM, SAXS and X-ray crystallography. My work will try and uncover mechanism by which chromatin remodelling ATPases work to unravel nucleosomes but I will also investigate their role in DNA damage repair and cancer.
If I am not in the lab, I am probably playing ukulele, shopping, watching Sci-fi TV shows or reading my favourite books for the umpteenth time.
Jacob Evans
PhD student
Leanne Harris
Postdoctoral Research Assistant
Email: lh383@sussex.ac.uk
My work focuses on protein-protein interactions for drug discovery – understanding how protein interactions can drive disease and how we can target these interactions to develop novel treatments. In Erika’s lab, I work on a protein-protein interaction which has been implicated in T-cell leukaemia. Using a range of biochemical and biophysical techniques (including HTRF, MST, NMR and X-ray crystallography), my aim is to identify novel small molecule inhibitors of the protein-protein interaction, investigate the binding of these inhibitors to the proteins and understand how they function.
Outside of the lab, I play the trumpet and spend my free time playing board games, baking and walking on the South Downs.
Rajesh Ponusammy
Postdoctoral Research Assistant
Email: R.Ponnusamy@sussex.ac.uk
My research interest has been to understand and rationalize how a small set of viral proteins are able to hijack the complex host mechanisms for their survival. I have obtained rigorous experience in structural biology from gene-to-structure including complementary techniques for obtaining information on protein-protein and protein-nucleic acid interactions such as SPR, ITC and BioSAXS. Here at the University of Sussex, I’m part of Prof. Michelle West and Dr. Erika Manicini Labs and interested in identifying the molecular details of EBV latent proteins EBNA2 and EBNA3C and their interaction with the cellular proteins.