Andrew J Sutherland-Smith

My research involves understanding the relationship between protein structure and function in important biological contexts. I am interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms behind genetic diseases investigating the structural & functional basis of altered protein activities in the presence of inherited mutations associated with inherited disorders; especially in cytoskeletal & muscle proteins. Structural biology is a particular research speciality. Other projects involve research into methanogen enzyme structural biology, biochemistry and evolution This is a relatively unexplored research area but with important implications for several big issues in biology, namely climate change, the origins of life/evolution of the first cells & evolutionary history of bacteria & archaea.