Overview
Background
My research focuses on using host defence molecules as the basis for designing peptide-based drugs with improved safety and reduced likelihood of drug resistance to combat infectious disease caused by pathogenic bacteria and malaria parasites. Zooming in to investigate molecular interactions at the cell surface and inside infected cells allows me to describe and refine how drug candidates overcome disease organisms to produce the next generation of antimicrobial drugs.
Availability
- Dr Nicole Lawrence is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
Research interests
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Developing next generation medicines from antimicrobial peptides
Developing new drugs from natures host defence molecules - with improved safety and less likely to induce drug resistance.
Works
Search Professor Nicole Lawrence’s works on UQ eSpace
2023
Journal Article
The circular bacteriocin enterocin NKR-5-3B has an improved stability profile over nisin
Wang, Conan K., Huang, Yen-Hua, Shabbir, Fatima, Pham, Huong T., Lawrence, Nicole, Benfield, Aurélie H., van der Donk, Wilfred, Henriques, Sónia T., Turner, Mark S. and Craik, David J. (2023). The circular bacteriocin enterocin NKR-5-3B has an improved stability profile over nisin. Peptides, 167 171049, 171049. doi: 10.1016/j.peptides.2023.171049
2022
Conference Publication
Activating the p53 pathway with peptide conjugates: synthesis, structure, activity and cellular uptake
Philippe, Gregoire, Huang, Yen-Hua, Mittermeier, Anna, Brown, Christopher, Wang, Conan, Kaas, Quentin, Lawrence, Nicole, Condon, Nicholas, Lane, David, Loewer, Alexander, Craik, David and Henriques, Sonia (2022). Activating the p53 pathway with peptide conjugates: synthesis, structure, activity and cellular uptake. 36th European Peptide Symposium 12th International Peptide Symposium, Barcelona, Spain, 28 August - 2 September 2022. Oxford, United Kingdom: John Wiley & Sons. doi: 10.1002/psc.3445
2022
Conference Publication
Structure, function, and evolution of nettle caterpillar venom toxins
Goudarzi, Mohaddeseh H., Robinson, Samuel D., Cardoso, Fernanda C., Lawrence, Nicole, Chin, Yanni, King, Glenn F. and Walker, Andrew A. (2022). Structure, function, and evolution of nettle caterpillar venom toxins. Pathogens and Natural Toxins e-Conference, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 1 July - 31 August 2022.
2021
Journal Article
Antimicrobial and anticancer properties of synthetic peptides derived from the wasp Parachartergus fraternus
Muller, Jessica A. I., Lawrence, Nicole, Chan, Lai Yue, Harvey, Peta J., Elliott, Alysha G., Blaskovich, Mark A. T., Gonçalves, Jacqueline C., Galante, Priscilla, Mortari, Marcia R., Toffoli-Kadri, Mônica C., Koehbach, Johannes and Craik, David (2021). Antimicrobial and anticancer properties of synthetic peptides derived from the wasp Parachartergus fraternus. Chembiochem , 22 (8) cbic.202000716, 1415-1423. doi: 10.1002/cbic.202000716
2021
Journal Article
Bioactive cyclization optimizes the affinity of a Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin Type 9 (PCSK9) peptide inhibitor
Tombling, Benjamin J., Lammi, Carmen, Lawrence, Nicole, Gilding, Edward K., Grazioso, Giovanni, Craik, David J. and Wang, Conan K. (2021). Bioactive cyclization optimizes the affinity of a Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin Type 9 (PCSK9) peptide inhibitor. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 64 (5) acs.jmedchem.0c01766, 2523-2533. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01766
2021
Journal Article
Angler peptides: macrocyclic conjugates inhibit p53:MDM2/X interactions and activate apoptosis in cancer cells
Philippe, Grégoire J.-B., Mittermeier, Anna, Lawrence, Nicole, Huang, Yen-Hua, Condon, Nicholas D., Loewer, Alexander, Craik, David J. and Henriques, Sónia T. (2021). Angler peptides: macrocyclic conjugates inhibit p53:MDM2/X interactions and activate apoptosis in cancer cells. ACS Chemical Biology, 16 (2) acschembio.0c00988, 414-428. doi: 10.1021/acschembio.0c00988
2021
Journal Article
Engineered EGF-A peptides with improved affinity for proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9)
Tombling, Benjamin J., Lammi, Carmen, Lawrence, Nicole, Li, Jianqiang, Arnoldi, Anna, Craik, David J. and Wang, Conan K. (2021). Engineered EGF-A peptides with improved affinity for proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9). ACS Chemical Biology, 16 (2) acschembio.0c00991, 429-439. doi: 10.1021/acschembio.0c00991
2021
Journal Article
Functional modulation of the human voltage-gated sodium channel NaV1.8 by auxiliary β subunits
Nevin, S. T., Lawrence, N., Nicke, A., Lewis, R. J. and Adams, D. J. (2021). Functional modulation of the human voltage-gated sodium channel NaV1.8 by auxiliary β subunits. Channels, 15 (1), 79-93. doi: 10.1080/19336950.2020.1860399
2021
Journal Article
Cyclic gomesin, a stable redesigned spider peptide able to enter cancer cells
Benfield, Aurélie H., Defaus, Sira, Lawrence, Nicole, Chaousis, Stephanie, Condon, Nicholas, Cheneval, Olivier, Huang, Yen-Hua, Chan, Lai Yue, Andreu, David, Craik, David J. and Henriques, Sónia Troeira (2021). Cyclic gomesin, a stable redesigned spider peptide able to enter cancer cells. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Biomembranes, 1863 (1) 183480, 183480. doi: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2020.183480
2021
Book Chapter
Intracellular targeting of cyclotides for therapeutic applications
Lawrence, Nicole and Craik, David J. (2021). Intracellular targeting of cyclotides for therapeutic applications. Methods in pharmacology and toxicology. (pp. 229-248) New York, NY USA: Humana Press. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1250-7_11
2020
Journal Article
Cyclotide structures revealed by NMR, with a little help from X-ray crystallography
Handley, Thomas N. G., Harvey, Peta J., Wang, Conan K., Lawrence, Nicole and Craik, David (2020). Cyclotide structures revealed by NMR, with a little help from X-ray crystallography. Chembiochem, 21 (24) cbic.202000315, 3463-3475. doi: 10.1002/cbic.202000315
2020
Journal Article
Front Cover: Cyclotide Structures Revealed by NMR, with a Little Help from X‐ray Crystallography (ChemBioChem 24/2020)
Handley, Thomas N. G., Wang, Conan K., Harvey, Peta J., Lawrence, Nicole and Craik, David J. (2020). Front Cover: Cyclotide Structures Revealed by NMR, with a Little Help from X‐ray Crystallography (ChemBioChem 24/2020). ChemBioChem, 21 (24), 3449-3449. doi: 10.1002/cbic.202000778
2020
Journal Article
Safer in vitro drug screening models for melioidosis therapy development
Amiss, Anna S., Webb, Jessica R., Mayo, Mark, Currie, Bart J., Craik, David J., Henriques, Sónia Troeira and Lawrence, Nicole (2020). Safer in vitro drug screening models for melioidosis therapy development. The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene, 103 (5), 1846-1851. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-0248
2019
Journal Article
Cyclic analogues of horseshoe crab peptide Tachyplesin I with anticancer and cell penetrating properties
Vernen, Felicitas, Craik, David J., Lawrence, Nicole and Troeira Henriques, Sónia (2019). Cyclic analogues of horseshoe crab peptide Tachyplesin I with anticancer and cell penetrating properties. ACS Chemical Biology, 14 (12), 2895-2908. doi: 10.1021/acschembio.9b00782
2019
Journal Article
Characterization of tachyplesin peptides and their cyclized analogues to improve antimicrobial and anticancer properties
Vernen, Felicitas, Harvey, Peta J., Dias, Susana A., Veiga, Ana Salomé, Huang, Yen-Hua, Craik, David J., Lawrence, Nicole and Troeira Henriques, Sónia (2019). Characterization of tachyplesin peptides and their cyclized analogues to improve antimicrobial and anticancer properties. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 20 (17) 4184, 4184. doi: 10.3390/ijms20174184
2019
Journal Article
Cell membrane composition drives selectivity and toxicity of designed cyclic helix-loop-helix peptides with cell penetrating and tumor suppressor properties
Philippe, Grégoire J. -B., Gaspar, Diana, Sheng, Caibin, Huang, Yen-Hua, Benfield, Aurélie H., Condon, Nicholas D., Weidmann, Joachim, Lawrence, Nicole, Löwer, Alexander, Castanho, Miguel A. R. B., Craik, David J. and Troeira Henriques, Sónia (2019). Cell membrane composition drives selectivity and toxicity of designed cyclic helix-loop-helix peptides with cell penetrating and tumor suppressor properties. ACS Chemical Biology, 14 (9), 2071-2087. doi: 10.1021/acschembio.9b00593
2019
Journal Article
Peptide-membrane interactions affect the inhibitory potency and selectivity of spider toxins ProTx-II and GpTx-1
Lawrence, Nicole, Wu, Bin, Ligutti, Joseph, Cheneval, Olivier, Agwa, Akello Joanna, Benfield, Aurélie H., Biswas, Kaustav, Craik, David J., Miranda, Les P., Henriques, Sónia Troeira and Schroeder, Christina I. (2019). Peptide-membrane interactions affect the inhibitory potency and selectivity of spider toxins ProTx-II and GpTx-1. ACS Chemical Biology, 14 (1), 118-130. doi: 10.1021/acschembio.8b00989
2018
Journal Article
Gating modifier toxins isolated from spider venom: modulation of voltage-gated sodium channels and the role of lipid membranes
Agwa, Akello J., Peigneur, Steve, Chow, Chun Yuen, Lawrence, Nicole, Craik, David J., Tytgat, Jan, King, Glenn F., Henriques, Sonia Troeira and Schroeder, Christina I. (2018). Gating modifier toxins isolated from spider venom: modulation of voltage-gated sodium channels and the role of lipid membranes. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 293 (23), 9041-9052. doi: 10.1074/jbc.RA118.002553
2017
Journal Article
Spider peptide toxin HwTx-IV engineered to bind to lipid membranes has an increased inhibitory potency at human voltage-gated sodium channel hNa(V)1.7 (vol 1859, pg 835, 2017)
Agwa, Akello J., Lawrence, Nicole, Deplazes, Evelyne, Cheneval, Olivier, Chen, Rachel M., Craik, David J., Schroeder, Christina I. and Henriques, Sonia T. (2017). Spider peptide toxin HwTx-IV engineered to bind to lipid membranes has an increased inhibitory potency at human voltage-gated sodium channel hNa(V)1.7 (vol 1859, pg 835, 2017). Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta-Biomembranes, 1859 (11), 2277-2277. doi: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2017.08.008
2017
Journal Article
Redesigned spider peptide with improved antimicrobial and anticancer properties
Henriques, Sónia Troeira, Lawrence, Nicole, Chaousis, Stephanie, Ravipati, Anjaneya S., Cheneval, Olivier, Benfield, Aurélie H., Elliott, Alysha G., Kavanagh, Angela Maria, Cooper, Matthew A., Chan, Lai Yue, Huang, Yen-Hua and Craik, David J. (2017). Redesigned spider peptide with improved antimicrobial and anticancer properties. ACS Chemical Biology, 12 (9), 2324-2334. doi: 10.1021/acschembio.7b00459
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Nicole Lawrence is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
-
Doctor Philosophy
Plant-based production of antimicrobial peptides
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Mark Jackson, Professor David Craik
Completed supervision
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
Investigating the use of antimicrobial cell-penetrating peptides to target bacteria inside host cells
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor David Craik
-
2020
Doctor Philosophy
Backbone cyclised tachyplesin analogues: modified host defence peptides with anticancer and cell-penetrating properties
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor David Craik
Media
Enquiries
Contact Dr Nicole Lawrence directly for media enquiries about:
- drug design
- drug-resistant bacteria
- malaria
- peptides
- tropical health
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