Dr Michael Morris
E25 - Royal North Shore Hospital
The University of Sydney NSW 2006 Australia |
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My laboratory has ongoing interests in two distinct areas: Embryonic Stem Cells and 3D Structure of Membrane Proteins.
Embryonic Stem Cells
ES cells recapitulate many of the complex processes that occur during mammalian embryogenesis. This provides enormous experimental advantages because it is possible to identify molecules, signaling pathways, genetic and epigenetic events that contribute to stemness and that direct the differentiation of stem cells to specific cell fates. Our research is directed towards: (i) Using ES cells to understand the molecular mechanisms of normal and abnormal development in the mammalian embryo. (ii) Directing the differentiation of ES cells to specific cell types that can be used in the treatment of human disease.
3D Structure of Membrane Proteins
Membrane proteins are common and perform an enormous range of critical tasks in cells. However, it has continued to prove very difficult to obtain information on their 3D structures. Our research is directed towards developing computational tools that can be used to predict, refine, and compare the 3D structures of these proteins.
Embryonic Stem Cells
ES cells recapitulate many of the complex processes that occur during mammalian embryogenesis. This provides enormous experimental advantages because it is possible to identify molecules, signaling pathways, genetic and epigenetic events that contribute to stemness and that direct the differentiation of stem cells to specific cell fates. Our research is directed towards: (i) Using ES cells to understand the molecular mechanisms of normal and abnormal development in the mammalian embryo. (ii) Directing the differentiation of ES cells to specific cell types that can be used in the treatment of human disease.
3D Structure of Membrane Proteins
Membrane proteins are common and perform an enormous range of critical tasks in cells. However, it has continued to prove very difficult to obtain information on their 3D structures. Our research is directed towards developing computational tools that can be used to predict, refine, and compare the 3D structures of these proteins.
2009
- Morris, M, Dastmalchi, S, Church, W. Rhodopsin: Structure, signal transduction and oligomerisation. The international journal of biochemistry & cell biology. 2009; 41:721-4
2008
- Dastmalchi, S, Church, W, Morris, M. Modelling the structures of G protein-coupled receptors aided by three-dimensional validation. BMC Bioinformatics. 2008; 9 Suppl 1:S14
2007
- Dastmalchi, S, Beheshti, S, Morris, M, Church, W. Prediction of rotational orientation of transmembrane helical segments of integral membrane proteins using new environment-based propensities for amino acids derived from structural analyses. The FEBS journal. 2007; 274:2653-2660
