Protein structures help shape new drugs
Using structural biology and synchrotron light as his main research tool, Professor Jamie Rossjohn has provided insights into bacterial toxins, proteins that cause gas gangrene, pneumonia and tuberculosis.
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| Professor Jamie Rossjohn |
A protein’s specific function is determined by its shape, and Professor Rossjohn is one of Australia’s leaders in the field of protein crystallography – the science of mapping protein shapes. Based on this knowledge, new drugs can be developed that target a particular protein.
He has also investigated how the human body fights off viruses, such as Epstein-Barr virus and influenza, contributing to our understanding of how our Killer T-cells function.
Professor Rossjohn received the Science Minister’s Prize for Life Scientist of the Year in 2004. In 2006, he was awarded a prestigious Federation Fellowship from the Australian Research Council. He is head of the Protein Crystallography Unit in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Monash University.
His research program is supported by the NHMRC, ARC, and Anti-Cancer Council and had led to over 110 publications, including articles in Nature, Science and Cell. Many of his students and post-doctoral researchers have received national awards and fellowships.
For his outstanding contribution to medical sciences, Professor Rossjohn was awarded the Gottschalk medal from the Australian Academy of Science in 2007 and the 2007 Commonwealth Health Minister's Award for Excellence in Health and Medical Research.
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