X-ray crystallography, circular dichroism, differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic light scattering and spectroscopy methods are used to study the mechanism of energy and information transport by the light harvesting proteins from algal algae. Despite, the importance of these proteins, our knowledge of their three-dimensional structure is very limited.

Recently I have determined the structure of Phycoerythrin 545 to 1.6A resolution. I will continue with the light harvesting proteins towards their atomic structure.

Following my interest in the light harvesting proteins I became interested in how the proteins are targeted to the membranes and how they are inserted or translocated across membranes. For this project I will continue towards the structure determination of other components of algal cells. I have started the crystallisation of membrane proteins from different sources aiming to determine their structure and characterise their property.

• James, V.J., Wilk, K.E., McConnel, J.F., Baranov, E.P. and Amemiya, Y., "Intermediate filaments structure of a-keratin in baboon hair", Int. J.Biol. Macromol., 1995, 17, 99-104
• Wilk, K.E., James, V.J. and Amemiya, Y., "The intermediate filament structure of human hair", Biochimica et Biophysica Acta, 1995, 1245, 392-396.

School of Physics
The University of New South Wales
SYDNEY 2052
Australia

K.Wilk@unsw.edu.au

61 2 9385 5714
61 2 9385 4730

61 2 9385 6060