Pete Smyth
Pete is a PhD student with Hough Group at Diamond Light Source and University of Essex. His research involves developing time-resolved crystallography methods for investigating protein structural dynamics by creating molecular movies of proteins undergoing reactions.
He is using these methods to investigate the function of several radiation-sensitive metalloproteins, including cytochromes c' from methanotrophs. These bacterial haem proteins bind gas molecules and play roles in the global nitrogen cycle.
Research Interests
Serial crystallography:
Serial crystallography collects data from thousands of crystals, rather than a single crystal, allowing structures to be collected at room temperature, with few artefacts of radiation damage present.
Time-resolved crystallography:
Time-resolved methods provide data from short-lived intermediates in a biological reaction, to investigate structural dynamics of proteins.
Methanotroph cytochromes c':
These haem proteins from methanotrophic bacteria are involved in gas binding, and have roles in the global nitrogen cycle.
