Professor Brett Collins
Professor

Brett Collins

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 334 62043

Background

Brett Collins is an NHMRC Career Development Fellow and head of the Molecular Trafficking Lab at UQ's Institute for Molecular Bioscience. He was a lead investigator in the seminal structural studies of AP2, the protein adaptor molecule central to clathrin-mediated endocytosis, and has since defined the molecular basis for the function of critical proteins regulating membrane trafficking and signalling at the endosome organelle. His team is now focused on understanding how discrete molecular interactions between proteins and lipids control these processes in human cells.

Associate Professor Collins was awarded his PhD in 2001 and has published over 75 papers including in Cell, Nature, Nature Structural and Molecular Biology, Developmental Cell, and The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, altogether cited more than 3100 times. He is the recipient of 3 prestigious fellowships, including a previous Career Development Award from the National Health and Medical Research Council and a Future Fellowship from the Australian Research Council, and was awarded the University of Queensland Research Excellence Award in 2008. In 2015 he was awarded the Emerging Leader Award of the ANZSCDB and in 2016 the Merck Research Medal from the ASBMB. He is currently the President of the Queensland Protein Group.

Availability

Professor Brett Collins is:
Available for supervision
Media expert

Fields of research

Biological Sciences Neurosciences

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, Macquarie University

Research interests

  • Membrane Trafficking

    The basis for movement of molecules between cellular organelles essential for cell homeostasis.

  • Structural biology

    The atomic resolution details of how biological molecules are assembled together and interact with each other.

Research impacts

Trafficking is essential for normal cellular function and is perturbed in many different diseases, notably Alzheimer’s and other neurological disorders, pathogen invasion, cancer and inflammation. A/Prof Collins is probing the fundamental mechanisms of membrane transport, through the application of high-resolution structure determination, quantitative biophysical analyses of molecular interactions, and correlated cellular studies of essential protein machineries. Understanding these molecular mechanisms will allow us to determine how their dysfunction contributes to disease and how to target them for new therapies.

Search Professor Brett Collins’s works on UQ eSpace

141 works between 1997 and 2024
All (141) Journal Article (131) Conference Publication (9) Other Outputs (1)

121 - 140 of 141 works

2010

Journal Article

Munc18-1 as a key regulator of neurosecretion

Han, GA, Malintan, NT, Collins, BM, Meunier, FA and Sugita, S (2010). Munc18-1 as a key regulator of neurosecretion. Journal of Neurochemistry, 115 (1), 1-10. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2010.06900.x

Munc18-1 as a key regulator of neurosecretion

2010

Journal Article

Survey of the year 2008: Applications of isothermal titration calorimetry

Falconer, RJ, Penkova, A, Jelesarov, I and Collins, BM (2010). Survey of the year 2008: Applications of isothermal titration calorimetry. Journal of Molecular Recognition, 23 (5), 395-413. doi: 10.1002/jmr.1025

Survey of the year 2008: Applications of isothermal titration calorimetry

2010

Journal Article

A large-scale conformational change couples membrane recruitment to cargo binding in the AP2 clathrin adaptor complex

Jackson, Lauren P., Kelly, Bernard T., McCoy, Airlie J., Gaffry, Thomas, James, Leo C., Collins, Brett M., Honing, Stefan, Evans, Philip R. and Owen, David J. (2010). A large-scale conformational change couples membrane recruitment to cargo binding in the AP2 clathrin adaptor complex. Cell, 141 (7), 1220-1229. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2010.05.006

A large-scale conformational change couples membrane recruitment to cargo binding in the AP2 clathrin adaptor complex

2010

Journal Article

Vesicle transport: A new player in APP trafficking

Owen, DJ and Collins, BM (2010). Vesicle transport: A new player in APP trafficking. Current Biology, 20 (9), R413-R415. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2010.03.017

Vesicle transport: A new player in APP trafficking

2009

Journal Article

Rescue of Munc18-1 and -2 double knockdown reveals the essential functions of interaction between Munc18 and closed syntaxin in PC12 cells

Han, Liping, Jiang, Tiandan, Han, Gayoung A., Malintan, Nancy T., Xie, Li., Wang, Li., Tse, Frederick W., Gaisano, Herbert Y., Collins, Brett M., Meunier, Frederic A. and Sugita, Shuzo (2009). Rescue of Munc18-1 and -2 double knockdown reveals the essential functions of interaction between Munc18 and closed syntaxin in PC12 cells. Molecular Biology of the Cell, 20 (23), 4962-4975. doi: 10.1091/mbc.E09-08-0712

Rescue of Munc18-1 and -2 double knockdown reveals the essential functions of interaction between Munc18 and closed syntaxin in PC12 cells

2009

Journal Article

Abrogating Munc18-1 SNARE complex interaction has limited impact on exocytosis in PC12 cells

Malintan, Nancy, Nguyen, Tam H, Han, Liping, Latham, Catherine F., Osborne, Shona L., Wen, Peter, Lim, Siew, Joo, Tiffany, Sugita, Shuzo, Collins, Brett M. and Meunier, Frederic A. (2009). Abrogating Munc18-1 SNARE complex interaction has limited impact on exocytosis in PC12 cells. The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 284 (32), 21637-21646. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M109.013508

Abrogating Munc18-1 SNARE complex interaction has limited impact on exocytosis in PC12 cells

2008

Journal Article

The structure and function of the retrometer protein complex.

Collins, B. M. (2008). The structure and function of the retrometer protein complex.. Traffic, 9 (11), 1811-1822. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0854.2008.00777.x

The structure and function of the retrometer protein complex.

2008

Journal Article

Structure of Vps26B and Mapping of its Interaction with the Retromer Protein Complex

Collins, Brett M., Norwood, Suzanne J., Kerr, Markus C., Mahony, Donna, Seaman, Matthew N. J. and Teasdale, Rohan D. (2008). Structure of Vps26B and Mapping of its Interaction with the Retromer Protein Complex. Traffic, 9 (3), 366-379. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0854.2007.00688.x

Structure of Vps26B and Mapping of its Interaction with the Retromer Protein Complex

2006

Journal Article

Molecular Switches Involving the AP-2 Beta 2 Appendage Regulate Endocytic Cargo Selection and Clathrin Coat Assembly

Edeling, Melissa A., Mishra, Sanjay K., Keyel, Peter A., Steinhauser, Amie L., Collins, Brett M., Roth, Robyn, Heuser, John E., Owen, David J. and Traub, Linton M. (2006). Molecular Switches Involving the AP-2 Beta 2 Appendage Regulate Endocytic Cargo Selection and Clathrin Coat Assembly. Developmental Cell, 10 (3), 329-342. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2006.01.016

Molecular Switches Involving the AP-2 Beta 2 Appendage Regulate Endocytic Cargo Selection and Clathrin Coat Assembly

2006

Journal Article

Prospect Eleven: Princeton University's entry in the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge

Atreya, Anand R., Cattle, Bryan C., Collins, Brendan M., Essenburg, Benjamin, Franken, Gordon H., Saxe, Andrew M., Schiffres, Scott N. and Kornhauser, Alain L. (2006). Prospect Eleven: Princeton University's entry in the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge. Journal of Field Robotics, 23 (9), 745-753. doi: 10.1002/rob.20141

Prospect Eleven: Princeton University's entry in the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge

2005

Journal Article

Vps29 has a phosphoesterase fold that acts as a protein interaction scaffold for retromer assembly

Collins, Brett M., Skinner, Claire F., Watson, Peter J., Seaman, Matthew N. J. and Owen, David J. (2005). Vps29 has a phosphoesterase fold that acts as a protein interaction scaffold for retromer assembly. Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, 12 (7), 594-602. doi: 10.1038/nsmb954

Vps29 has a phosphoesterase fold that acts as a protein interaction scaffold for retromer assembly

2004

Conference Publication

Structural studies of clathrin adaptors

Collins, BM and Owen, DJ (2004). Structural studies of clathrin adaptors. Annual Meeting of the American-Society-for-Cell-Biology, Washington Dc, Dec 04-08, 2004. BETHESDA: AMER SOC CELL BIOLOGY.

Structural studies of clathrin adaptors

2004

Journal Article

gamma-COP appendage domain - Structure and function

Watson, Peter J., Frigerio, Gabriella, Collins, Brett M., Duden, Rainer and Owen, David J. (2004). gamma-COP appendage domain - Structure and function. Traffic, 5 (2), 79-88. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0854.2004.00158.x

gamma-COP appendage domain - Structure and function

2004

Journal Article

Adaptors for Clathrin Coats: Structure and Function

Owen, David J., Collins, Brett M. and Evans, Philip R. (2004). Adaptors for Clathrin Coats: Structure and Function. Annual Review of Cell And Developmental Biology, 20 (1), 153-191. doi: 10.1146/annurev.cellbio.20.010403.104543

Adaptors for Clathrin Coats: Structure and Function

2003

Journal Article

Structural basis for binding of accessory proteins by the appendage domain of GGAs

Collins, Brett M., Praefcke, Gerrit J. K., Robinson, Margaret S. and Owen, David J. (2003). Structural basis for binding of accessory proteins by the appendage domain of GGAs. Nature Structural Biology, 10 (8), 607-613. doi: 10.1038/nsb955

Structural basis for binding of accessory proteins by the appendage domain of GGAs

2003

Journal Article

Binding partners for the COOH-Terminal appendage domains of the GGAs and gamma-adaptin

Lui, Winnie W. Y., Collins, Brett M., Hirst, Jennifer, Motley, Alison, Millar, Caroline, Schu, Peter, Owen, David J. and Robinson, Margaret S. (2003). Binding partners for the COOH-Terminal appendage domains of the GGAs and gamma-adaptin. Molecular Biology of The Cell, 14 (6), 2385-2398. doi: 10.1091/mbc.E02-11-0735

Binding partners for the COOH-Terminal appendage domains of the GGAs and gamma-adaptin

2003

Journal Article

Homomeric ring assemblies of eukaryotic Sm proteins have affinity for both RNA and DNA - Crystal structure of an oligomeric complex of yeast SmF

Collins, Brett M., Cubeddu, Liza, Naidoo, Nishen, Harrop, Stephen J., Kornfeld, Geoff D., Dawes, Ian W., Curmi, Paul M. G. and Mabbutt, Bridget C. (2003). Homomeric ring assemblies of eukaryotic Sm proteins have affinity for both RNA and DNA - Crystal structure of an oligomeric complex of yeast SmF. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 278 (19), 17291-17298. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M211826200

Homomeric ring assemblies of eukaryotic Sm proteins have affinity for both RNA and DNA - Crystal structure of an oligomeric complex of yeast SmF

2003

Journal Article

The structure of the GGA1-GAT domain reveals the molecular basis for ARF binding and membrane association of GGAs

Collins, Brett M., Watson, Peter J. and Owen, David J. (2003). The structure of the GGA1-GAT domain reveals the molecular basis for ARF binding and membrane association of GGAs. Developmental Cell, 4 (3), 321-332. doi: 10.1016/S1534-5807(03)00037-6

The structure of the GGA1-GAT domain reveals the molecular basis for ARF binding and membrane association of GGAs

2002

Journal Article

Molecular architecture and functional model of the endocytic AP2 complex

Collins, Brett M., McCoy, Airlie J., Kent, Helen M., Evans, Philip R. and Owen, David J. (2002). Molecular architecture and functional model of the endocytic AP2 complex. Cell, 109 (4), 523-535. doi: 10.1016/S0092-8674(02)00735-3

Molecular architecture and functional model of the endocytic AP2 complex

2001

Journal Article

Crystal structure of a heptameric Sm-like protein complex from archaea: Implications for the structure and evolution of snRNPs

Collins, B. M., Harrop, S. J., Kornfeld, G. D., Dawes, I. W., Curmi, P. M. G. and Mabbutt, B. C. (2001). Crystal structure of a heptameric Sm-like protein complex from archaea: Implications for the structure and evolution of snRNPs. Journal of Molecular Biology, 309 (4), 915-923. doi: 10.1006/jmbi.2001.4693

Crystal structure of a heptameric Sm-like protein complex from archaea: Implications for the structure and evolution of snRNPs

Current funding

  • 2024 - 2029
    Centre of Research Excellence in Mechanisms In NeuroDegeneration - Alzheimer's Disease (MIND-AD CRE)
    NHMRC Centres of Research Excellence
    Open grant
  • 2024 - 2027
    Structure of the essential Commander protein trafficking complex
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2023 - 2026
    The functional architecture of a unique family of lipid droplet proteins
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2023 - 2027
    From structural mechanisms of endosomal trafficking to therapies for neurodegenerative diseases
    NHMRC Investigator Grants
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2024
    The University of Queensland, Griffith University and Charles Sturt University
    Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
    Open grant
  • 2024
    The University of Queensland, Griffith University and Charles Sturt University Macromolecular Crystallography CAP (2024)
    Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
    Open grant
  • 2024
    The University of Queensland, Griffith University and Charles Sturt University Macromolecular Crystallography CAP (2024)
    Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
    Open grant
  • 2023
    The University of Queensland, Griffith University and Charles Sturt University Macromolecular Crystallography CAP (2023)
    Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
    Open grant
  • 2023 - 2024
    Nanocrystal Electron Diffraction Facility
    ARC Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities
    Open grant
  • 2022
    The University of Queensland, Griffith University and Charles Sturt University Macromolecular Crystallography CAP (2022)
    Australian Synchrotron Access Program (ANSTO)
    Open grant
  • 2022
    The University of Queensland, Griffith University and Charles Sturt University Macromolecular Crystallography CAP (2022)
    Australian Synchrotron Access Program (ANSTO)
    Open grant
  • 2021 - 2022
    Cryo-Focused Ion Beam Facility for soft and hard materials (ARC LIEF project administered by UNSW)
    University of New South Wales
    Open grant
  • 2021
    The University of Queensland, Griffith University and Charles Sturt University Macromolecular Crystallography CAP (2021)
    Australian Synchrotron Access Program (ANSTO)
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2023
    Lipid droplet membrane tethers at atomic resolution
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2021
    An integrated, multi-node bio-layer interferometry facility
    ARC Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2023
    Molecular basis for the assembly of caveolae membrane domains
    NHMRC IDEAS Grants
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2021
    The University of Queensland, Griffith University and Charles Sturt University Collaborative Access Program
    Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
    Open grant
  • 2019
    Chemical Purification Network
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2022
    Retromer assembly and targeting in neurodegenerative disease
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2019
    Understanding the assembly of the Commander complex
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2022
    Understanding the assembly of the Commander complex (NHMRC Project Grant administered by The University of Melbourne)
    University of Melbourne
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2019
    The University of Queensland, Griffith University and Charles Sturt University Collaborative Access Program
    Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
    Open grant
  • 2018
    Cryoelectron Microscopy Platform for Cellular Structural Biology
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2020
    How do you SNARE a synaptic vesicle?
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2022
    Peripheral Membrane Proteins In Health And Disease
    NHMRC Research Fellowship
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2021
    Regulation of glutamate receptor trafficking by the calcium- and lipid-binding protein, copine-6
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2020
    Unveiling the origin of Munc18-1 and alpha-synuclein co-aggregation at nanoscale
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2018
    12340: The University of Queensland, Griffith University and Charles Sturt University macromolecular Crystallography CAP
    Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2017
    Unraveling the dynamic Munc18a:Syntaxin1 interaction required for neurotransmission (NHMRC Project Grant administered by Griffith University)
    Griffith University
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2019
    The endosome at atomic resolution
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2015
    Protein Analysis Facility
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant
  • 2015 - 2018
    Structural basis for the assembly of caveolae
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2015 - 2016
    Unraveling the dynamic Munc18a:Syntaxin1 interaction required for neurotransmission
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2017
    NHMRC Career Development Fellowship (R.D. Wright Biomedical CDF Level 2): Peripheral membrane proteins in health and disease
    NHMRC Career Development Fellowship
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2017
    Endosomal sorting of amyloid precursor protein in Alzheimer's disease
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2016
    Uncover how Myosin-6 underpins the Ca2+-dependent recruitment of secretory vesicles to the cortical actin network
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2013 - 2016
    Understanding how membrane trafficking controls the levels of Alzheimer's disease causing Aß peptides
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2013 - 2015
    Unravelling Munc18 dual function in exocytosis
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2013
    Endosomal protein sorting and APP processing in Alzheimer's disease
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2013
    Multi angle light scattering detector for the measurement of absolute molecular weight, size, and conformation of macromolecules in solution
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2014
    Structural Analysis of a Novel Plasma Membrane Coat Complex
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2011 - 2014
    Defining the molecular mechanisms of intracellular protein trafficking
    ARC Future Fellowships
    Open grant
  • 2011
    Auto-iTC200 microcalorimeter for high-throughput molecular interaction analyses
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant
  • 2010
    Small angle X-ray scattering of protein complexes regulating membrane trafficking
    Australian Synchrotron Access Program
    Open grant
  • 2010 - 2012
    Control of neurosecretion by Munc18
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2010 - 2012
    Myosin VI: a novel molecular apparatus for epithelial cohesion.
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2009 - 2011
    Endosomal Protein Transport: From Molecular Structures to Biological Function
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2008 - 2009
    Developing a Molecular Understanding of Endosomal Membrane Trafficking
    UQ Foundation Research Excellence Awards - DVC(R) Funding
    Open grant
  • 2008 - 2010
    From structures to systems: A hierachical approach to understanding sub-cellular components.
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2007 - 2008
    Structural and cellular biology of endosomal membrane trafficking
    UQ Early Career Researcher
    Open grant
  • 2006 - 2011
    NHMRC: R Douglas Wright Biomedical Career Development Award
    NHMRC Career Development Award
    Open grant
  • 2006 - 2008
    The Molecular Mechanism Of Retromer And Sorting Nexin Function In Endosomal Membrane Trafficking
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant

Availability

Professor Brett Collins is:
Available for supervision

Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.

Available projects

  • High resolution structural studies of the Commander protein complex essential for intracellular trafficking

  • Developing synthetic nanobodies for high resolution structural studies

  • Structure and function of endosomal sorting nexin proteins.

Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Exploring connections between mitochondrial fission and lipid droplets in macrophage antimicrobial responses.

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Jennifer Stow

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Studying the role of the Retromer trafficking complex as a hub for regulating Rab GTPases at the endosome.

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Kevin Chen

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Studying the role of Calsyntenin-1 as a novel chaperone for the amyloid precursor protein.

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Structural and cellular analysis of Rab GTPases for drug development in cancer.

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Jennifer Stow, Dr Quan Nguyen

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Exploring connections between mitochondrial fission and lipid droplets in macrophage antimicrobial responses.

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Jennifer Stow

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Targeting bacterial cell envelope coordination for antibiotic drug discovery

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Waldemar Vollmer

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Understanding the molecular structures of proteins involved in rare disease.

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Rosemary Cater

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Development of peptide-based inhibitors for crop protection

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Conan Wang, Professor David Craik

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Characterization of blood-brain barrier nutrient transporters

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Rosemary Cater

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Regulation of sorting nexin 27 by protein phosphorylation

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Victor Anggono

  • Doctor Philosophy

    The Role of Caveolar Proteins in Cancer

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Harriet Lo, Professor Robert Parton

Completed supervision

Enquiries

Contact Professor Brett Collins directly for media enquiries about:

  • Alzheimer's
  • cancer
  • Cryoelectron microscopy
  • inflammation
  • inflammatory disease
  • muscular dystrophy
  • Parkinson's
  • x-ray crystallography

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