We can now number of genes, proteins and cells, and we can see their individual shapes in motion. One of the greatest opportunities in biomedical research today is to understand how these various jigsaw bits fit together. Currently, however, says structural biologist Michael Overduin, we have little idea of what the individual jobs are of each protein produced by our genes.

His work is to find this out, using computer programmes which scan the surface of each protein and predicts whether it can interact with membranes, proteins or small molecules.

Professor Michael Overduin is Professor of Structural Biology art the University of Birmingham. His research team solve the structures or proteins involved in cancer and infection in NMR Facility in the Henry Wellcome Building.(note: NMR is the abbreviation for nuclear magnetic resonance.)

This HWB•NMR is the UK’s largest NMR facility, providing academic and industrial users with open access to six NMR spectrometers operating at 500-900 MHz, four cryogenic probes and high throughput autosamplers.