Professor Mehdi Mobli
Professor

Mehdi Mobli

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 334 60352

Background

Professor Mobli is a structural biologist and a group leader at the University of Queensland's Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN). He is well known internationally for his contributions to the basic theory of multidimensional nuclear magnetic resonance and its applications to resolving the molecular structure of peptides and proteins, as well as studying their physiochemical properties and function. Mehdi's contributions to the field has been recognised by being appointed an Executive Editor of the AMPERE society's journal "Magnetic Resonance", and to the advisory board of the international Biological Magnetic Resonance Data Bank (BMRB) as well as serving on the board of directors of the Australia and New Zealand Society for Magnetic Resonance (ANZMAG). He is a former ARC Future Fellow and recipient of the ASBMB MERCK medal, the Australia Peptide Society's Tregear Award, the ANZMAG Sir Paul Callaghan medal and the Lorne Proteins Young Investigator Award (now Robin Anders Award).

Prof. Mobli's research group focuses on characterising the structure and function of receptors involved in neuronal signalling, with a particular focus on developing new approaches for the discovery and characterisation of modulators of these receptors through innovations in bioinformatics, biochemistry and and biophysics. This work has led to publication of more than 100 research articles attracting over 6,000 citations.

Availability

Professor Mehdi Mobli is:
Available for supervision
Media expert

Fields of research

Analytical biochemistry Analytical chemistry Bioinformatics and computational biology Biological Sciences Biomaterials Biomedical engineering Biomolecular modelling and design Characterisation of biological macromolecules Chemical Sciences Cheminformatics and quantitative structure-activity relationships Engineering Enzymes Information and Computing Sciences Macromolecular and materials chemistry Mathematical Sciences Medicinal and biomolecular chemistry Molecular medicine Numerical analysis Numerical and computational mathematics Optical properties of materials Organic chemistry Physical chemistry Physical organic chemistry Proteins and peptides Receptors and membrane biology Solution chemistry Structural biology (incl. macromolecular modelling) Theory of computation

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, University of Liverpool

Research interests

  • Structure, function and dynamics of biomolecules studied in solution by NMR spectroscopy

    Nuclear magnetic resonance is one of the most powerful atomic resolution techniques for probing the physicochemical properties of molecules. In biophysics and particularly in protein research NMR can uniquely be used to determine both high-resolution structures and conformational dynamics of proteins in their natural solution state environment. NMR can further be used to provide functional data and is routinely used as a screening tool to provide input to structure based drug design studies. The properties that make NMR such a versatile technique also require technical expertise in data acquisition, analysis and interpretation. Dr Mobli's research is focused on the application of NMR spectroscopy in molecular biology, with the aim of increasing the utility of the technique itself through automation and also to expand its current applications. His group are working on diverse biological problems including understanding the structure of disulfide stabilised peptides, how voltage-gated ion channels are modulated by natural and synthetic ligands and the mechanism of bacterial transcription pausing. All of these projects are being pursued with the ultimate goal of developing novel drugs and diagnostic tools.

Research impacts

Bioactive peptides have long been recognised as important messengers in cellular communication and are integral to our understanding of basic physiological processes. Their potential as natural substrates for biological receptors has been leveraged successfully in some of the most important therapeutics of our time, such as insulin and oxytocin. In recent years, increased attention has been given to this molecular class due to the ease of generating large libraries of these peptides under selection pressure. This can yield potent drug leads through mRNA and phage display technologies. The potency and selectivity of these molecules come from their well-defined three-dimensional structures, which are often constrained by side-chain and/or backbone linkages that stabilise their 3D shape. Prof. Mobli's research group has contributed significantly to the understanding of the structure, dynamics, and function of constrained peptides. Our basic understanding of the physicochemical properties of bioactive peptides comes from studies of their structural and chemical properties. His group has directly contributed over 40 high-resolution structures of constrained peptides to the PDB, including arguably the highest resolution solution structure of a disulfide-constrained peptide to date (6URP). Detailed dynamic and functional studies have offered novel insights ranging from the basic chemistry of peptide side chains to the structural basis of peptide-receptor interactions and the evolution of neofunctionalisation of stable structural scaffolds.

Search Professor Mehdi Mobli’s works on UQ eSpace

146 works between 2003 and 2024
All (146) Journal Article (123) Book Chapter (11) Conference Publication (8) Book (3) Other Outputs (1)

61 - 80 of 146 works

2016

Journal Article

Inhibition of the norepinephrine transporter by χ-conotoxin dendrimers

Wan, Jingjing, Brust, Andreas, Bhola, Rebecca F., Jha, Prerna, Mobli, Mehdi, Lewis, Richard J., Christie, Macdonald J. and Alewood, Paul F. (2016). Inhibition of the norepinephrine transporter by χ-conotoxin dendrimers. Journal of Peptide Science, 22 (5), 280-289. doi: 10.1002/psc.2857

Inhibition of the norepinephrine transporter by χ-conotoxin dendrimers

2016

Conference Publication

Rational design and synthesis of a novel membrane binding NaV1.8 selective inhibitor with in vivo activity in pain models

Schroeder, Christina I., Deuis, Jennifer, Henriques, Sonia Troeria, Dekan, Zoltan, Inserra, Marco, Mobli, Mehdi and Vetter, Irina (2016). Rational design and synthesis of a novel membrane binding NaV1.8 selective inhibitor with in vivo activity in pain models. 60th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society, Los Angeles, CA, United States, 27 Feb - 2 Mar 2016. CAMBRIDGE: CELL PRESS. doi: 10.1016/j.bpj.2015.11.247

Rational design and synthesis of a novel membrane binding NaV1.8 selective inhibitor with in vivo activity in pain models

2016

Conference Publication

Structural Features of An Unusual Sun-Flower Proalbumin Protein That Gives Rise to a Small Cyclic Peptide and a Seed Storage Protein

Franke, B., James, A., Mobli, M., Mylne, J. S. and Rosengren, K. J. (2016). Structural Features of An Unusual Sun-Flower Proalbumin Protein That Gives Rise to a Small Cyclic Peptide and a Seed Storage Protein. 34th European Peptide Symposium, Leipzig, Germany, 4‐9 September 2016. HOBOKEN: Wiley.

Structural Features of An Unusual Sun-Flower Proalbumin Protein That Gives Rise to a Small Cyclic Peptide and a Seed Storage Protein

2015

Journal Article

Rational engineering defines a molecular switch that is essential for activity of spider-venom peptides against the analgesics target na(v)1.7

Klint, Julie K., Chin, Yanni K. -Y. and Mobli, Mehdi (2015). Rational engineering defines a molecular switch that is essential for activity of spider-venom peptides against the analgesics target na(v)1.7. Molecular Pharmacology, 88 (6), 1002-1010. doi: 10.1124/mol.115.100784

Rational engineering defines a molecular switch that is essential for activity of spider-venom peptides against the analgesics target na(v)1.7

2015

Journal Article

Molecular dynamics and functional studies define a hot spot of crystal contacts essential for PcTx1 inhibition of acid-sensing ion channel 1a

Saez, Natalie J., Deplazes, Evelyne, Cristofori-Armstrong, Ben, Chassagnon, Irene R., Lin, Xiaozhen, Mobli, Mehdi, Mark, Alan E., Rash, Lachlan D. and King, Glenn F. (2015). Molecular dynamics and functional studies define a hot spot of crystal contacts essential for PcTx1 inhibition of acid-sensing ion channel 1a. British Journal of Pharmacology, 172 (20), 4985-4995. doi: 10.1111/bph.13267

Molecular dynamics and functional studies define a hot spot of crystal contacts essential for PcTx1 inhibition of acid-sensing ion channel 1a

2015

Journal Article

Weaponization of a hormone: convergent recruitment of hyperglycemic hormone into the venom of arthropod predators

Undheim, Eivind A. B., Grimm, Lena L., Low, Chek -Fong, Morgenstern, David, Herzig, Volker, Zobel-Thropp, Pamela, Pineda, Sandy Steffany, Habib, Rosaline, Dziemborowicz, Slawomir, Fry, Bryan G., Nicholson, Graham M., Binford, Greta J., Mobli, Mehdi and King, Glenn F. (2015). Weaponization of a hormone: convergent recruitment of hyperglycemic hormone into the venom of arthropod predators. Structure, 23 (7) 3184, 1283-1292. doi: 10.1016/j.str.2015.05.003

Weaponization of a hormone: convergent recruitment of hyperglycemic hormone into the venom of arthropod predators

2015

Journal Article

Reducing seed dependent variability of non-uniformly sampled multidimensional NMR data

Mobli, Mehdi (2015). Reducing seed dependent variability of non-uniformly sampled multidimensional NMR data. Journal of Magnetic Resonance, 256, 60-69. doi: 10.1016/j.jmr.2015.04.003

Reducing seed dependent variability of non-uniformly sampled multidimensional NMR data

2015

Journal Article

Solution structure of the RNA-binding cold shock domain of the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii NAB1 protein and insights into RNA recognition

Sawyer, Anne L., Landsberg, Michael J., Ross, Ian L., Kruse, Olaf, Mobli, Mehdi and Hankamer, Ben (2015). Solution structure of the RNA-binding cold shock domain of the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii NAB1 protein and insights into RNA recognition. Biochemical Journal, 469 (1), 97-106. doi: 10.1042/BJ20150217

Solution structure of the RNA-binding cold shock domain of the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii NAB1 protein and insights into RNA recognition

2015

Journal Article

Backbone and side chain NMR assignments of Geobacillus stearothermophilus ZapA allow identification of residues that mediate the interaction of ZapA with FtsZ

Nogueira, Maria Luiza C., Sforca, Mauricio Luis, Chin, Yanni K. -Y., Mobli, Mehdi, Handler, Aaron, Gorbatyuk, Vitaliy Y., Robson, Scott A., King, Glenn F., Gueiros-Filho, Frederico J. and de Mattos Zeri, Ana Carolina (2015). Backbone and side chain NMR assignments of Geobacillus stearothermophilus ZapA allow identification of residues that mediate the interaction of ZapA with FtsZ. Biomolecular NMR Assignments, 9 (2), 387-391. doi: 10.1007/s12104-015-9615-1

Backbone and side chain NMR assignments of Geobacillus stearothermophilus ZapA allow identification of residues that mediate the interaction of ZapA with FtsZ

2015

Journal Article

Seven novel modulators of the analgesic target NaV1.7 uncovered using a high-throughput venom-based discovery approach

Klint, Julie K., Smith, Jennifer J., Vetter, Irina, Rupasinghe, Darshani B., Er, Sing Yan, Senff, Sebastian, Herzig, Volker, Mobli, Mehdi, Lewis, Richard J., Bosmans, Frank and King, Glenn F. (2015). Seven novel modulators of the analgesic target NaV1.7 uncovered using a high-throughput venom-based discovery approach. British Journal of Pharmacology, 172 (10), 2445-2458. doi: 10.1111/bph.13081

Seven novel modulators of the analgesic target NaV1.7 uncovered using a high-throughput venom-based discovery approach

2015

Journal Article

RNA polymerase-induced remodelling of NusA produces a pause enhancement complex

Ma, Cong, Mobli, Mehdi, Yang, Xiao, Keller, Andrew N., King, Glenn F. and Lewis, Peter J. (2015). RNA polymerase-induced remodelling of NusA produces a pause enhancement complex. Nucleic Acids Research, 43 (5), 2829-2840. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkv108

RNA polymerase-induced remodelling of NusA produces a pause enhancement complex

2015

Journal Article

The insecticidal spider toxin SFI1 is a knottin peptide that blocks the pore of insect voltage-gated sodium channels via a large β-hairpin loop

Bende, Niraj S., Dziemborowicz, Slawomir, Herzig, Volker, Ramanujam, Venkatraman, Brown, Geoffrey W., Bosmans, Frank, Nicholson, Graham M., King, Glenn F. and Mobli, Mehdi (2015). The insecticidal spider toxin SFI1 is a knottin peptide that blocks the pore of insect voltage-gated sodium channels via a large β-hairpin loop. FEBS Journal, 282 (5), 904-920. doi: 10.1111/febs.13189

The insecticidal spider toxin SFI1 is a knottin peptide that blocks the pore of insect voltage-gated sodium channels via a large β-hairpin loop

2015

Journal Article

α-Conotoxin dendrimers have enhanced potency and selectivity for homomeric nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

Wan, Jingjing, Huang, Johnny X., Vetter, Irina, Mobli, Mehdi, Lawson, Joshua, Tae, Han-Shen, Abraham, Nikita, Paul, Blessy, Cooper, Matthew A., Adams, David J., Lewis, Richard J. and Alewood, Paul F. (2015). α-Conotoxin dendrimers have enhanced potency and selectivity for homomeric nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 137 (9), 3209-3212. doi: 10.1021/jacs.5b00244

α-Conotoxin dendrimers have enhanced potency and selectivity for homomeric nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

2015

Book Chapter

Research methods

Fry, B. G., Undheim, E. A. B., Jackson, T. N. W., Georgieva, D., Vetter, I., Calvete, J. J., Schieb, H., Cribb, B. W., Yang, D. C., Daly, N. L., Manchadi, M. L. Roy, Gutierrez, J. M., Roelants, K., Lomonte, B., Nicholson, G. M., Dziemborowicz, S., Lavergne, V., Ragnarsson, L., Rash, L. D., Mobli, M., Hodgson, W. C., Casewell, N. R., Nouwens, A., Wagstaff, S. C., Ali, S. A., Whitehead, D. L., Herzig, V., Monagle, P., Kurniawan, N. D. ... Sunagar, K. (2015). Research methods. Venomous reptiles and their toxins: evolution, pathophysiology and biodiscovery. (pp. 153-214) New York, NY, United States: Oxford University Press.

Research methods

2015

Conference Publication

Rational development of novel analgesics for the treatment of chronic pain: Structure-Function studies of an engineered Nav1.7 blocker

Rahnama, S., Lachlan, R., Cardoso, F. C., Smith, J., Deuis, J., Vetter, I., King, G. F. and Mobli, M. (2015). Rational development of novel analgesics for the treatment of chronic pain: Structure-Function studies of an engineered Nav1.7 blocker. The 40th Lorne Conference on Protein Structure and Function, Lorne VIC, Australia, 8-12 February 2015.

Rational development of novel analgesics for the treatment of chronic pain: Structure-Function studies of an engineered Nav1.7 blocker

2015

Conference Publication

Delineating toxin:lipid:ion channel interactions for rationally sodium channel inhibitors design

Schroeder, Christina, Henriques, Sonia, Mobli, Mehdi, Chaousis, Stephanie, Walsh, Phillip, Thongyoo, Panumart and Craik, David (2015). Delineating toxin:lipid:ion channel interactions for rationally sodium channel inhibitors design. 29th Annual Symposium of the Protein Society, Barcelona Spain, Jul 22-25, 2015. Hoboken, United States: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing. doi: 10.1002/pro.2823

Delineating toxin:lipid:ion channel interactions for rationally sodium channel inhibitors design

2015

Book Chapter

The Structural Universe of Disulfide-Rich Venom Peptides

Lavergne, Vincent, Alewood, Paul F., Mobli, Mehdi and King, Glenn F. (2015). The Structural Universe of Disulfide-Rich Venom Peptides. Venoms to Drugs : Venom as a Source for the Development of Human Therapeutics. (pp. 37-79) edited by King, Glenn F.. London, United Kingdom: Royal Society of Chemistry. doi: 10.1039/9781849737876-00037

The Structural Universe of Disulfide-Rich Venom Peptides

2015

Journal Article

Erratum to "Nonuniform sampling and non-Fourier signal processing methods in multidimensional NMR" [Prog. Nucl. Magn. Reson. Spectrosc. 83 (2014) 21-41]

Mobli, Mehdi and Hoch, Jeffrey C. (2015). Erratum to "Nonuniform sampling and non-Fourier signal processing methods in multidimensional NMR" [Prog. Nucl. Magn. Reson. Spectrosc. 83 (2014) 21-41]. Progress in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, 86-87, 80-80. doi: 10.1016/j.pnmrs.2015.02.001

Erratum to "Nonuniform sampling and non-Fourier signal processing methods in multidimensional NMR" [Prog. Nucl. Magn. Reson. Spectrosc. 83 (2014) 21-41]

2014

Journal Article

Nonuniform sampling and non-Fourier signal processing methods in multidimensional NMR

Mobli, Mehdi and Hoch, Jeffrey C. (2014). Nonuniform sampling and non-Fourier signal processing methods in multidimensional NMR. Progress in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, 83, 21-41. doi: 10.1016/j.pnmrs.2014.09.002

Nonuniform sampling and non-Fourier signal processing methods in multidimensional NMR

2014

Journal Article

Molecular insights into the interaction between plasmodium falciparum apical membrane antigen 1 and an invasion-inhibitory peptide

Wang, Geqing, MacRaild, Christopher A., Mohanty, Biswaranjan, Mobli, Mehdi, Cowieson, Nathan P., Anders, Robin F., Simpson, Jamie S., McGowan, Sheena, Norton, Raymond S. and Scanlon, Martin J. (2014). Molecular insights into the interaction between plasmodium falciparum apical membrane antigen 1 and an invasion-inhibitory peptide. PLoS One, 9 (10) e109674, 1-12. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0109674

Molecular insights into the interaction between plasmodium falciparum apical membrane antigen 1 and an invasion-inhibitory peptide

Current funding

  • 2024 - 2025
    A national network for magnetic resonance spectroscopy
    ARC Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities
    Open grant
  • 2024 - 2027
    Defining a new family of sodium channel accessory proteins
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2023 - 2024
    High-Resolution Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy
    ARC Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities
    Open grant
  • 2022 - 2025
    Autocyclases: A new class of self-cyclising proteins
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2021 - 2023
    Bivalent analgesics: rational design of selective ion channel inhibitors with optimised mechanism of action
    NHMRC IDEAS Grants
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2022
    A new source of bivalent molecules from nature
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2022
    Accessing structurally elusive states of sodium channels as novel analgesic targets
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2019
    Chemical Purification Network
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant
  • 2019
    Imaging Mass Spectrometry at Higher Mass Resolution
    UQ Research Facilities Infrastructure Grants
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2021
    Molecular basis and inhibition of TIR-domain function in Toll-like receptor and neuronal cell-death pathways
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2018
    High-throughput ion channel pharmacology
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant
  • 2018
    In vivo optical imaging into the next generation
    UQ Research Facilities Infrastructure Grants
    Open grant
  • 2018
    Multichannel peptide synthesiser to accelerate UQ's biodiscovery pipeline and peptide drug development programs
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2019
    Targeting voltage sensing for drug development
    UQ Development Fellowships
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2017
    A nuclear magnetic resonance facility for modern molecular analysis
    ARC Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2018
    A pharmacological approach to define the contribution of Nav1.7 to pain pathways
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2018
    Characterization and inhibition of higher-order assembly signalling in Toll-like receptor pathways
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2016
    Patch-clamp electrophysiology platform for drug and insecticide discovery
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant
  • 2015
    Protein Analysis Facility
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant
  • 2015 - 2018
    Understanding how toxins interact with lipid membranes and ion channels
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2017
    Unravelling the structural complexity of ancient Australian arthropod venoms
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2016
    ASAP-NMR: A leap forward in structural studies of proteins using NMR spectroscopy
    ARC Future Fellowships
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2014
    Rational development of novel analgesics for the treatment of chronic pain
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2010
    High-throughput identification and structural characterization of selective Nav1.7 channel ligands; a prime target in the treatment of pain
    UQ Early Career Researcher
    Open grant

Availability

Professor Mehdi Mobli is:
Available for supervision

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Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Structural and functional characterisation of an orphan family of opioid peptides

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Jody Peters

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Studies of complex biomolecular systems using advanced biochemical and biophysical techniques

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Jeffrey Harmer

  • Doctor Philosophy

    The ASIC thumb domain as a channel proxy for identification of drug leads for the treatment of ischemic conditions

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Lachlan Rash

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Fast Acquisition Methods in Multidimensional NMR

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Characterisation of the lipid dependent gating of voltage gated ion channels

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Accessing structurally elusive states of sodium channels as novel analgesic targets

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Irina Vetter, Dr Thomas Durek

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Fast Acquisition Methods in Multidimensional NMR

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Modulation of opioid catabolism by endogenous neuropeptides

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Characterization of bivalency in disulfide-rich peptides

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Irina Vetter

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Discovery and characterisation of multi-valent peptides

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Irina Vetter

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Analysis of Complex Metabolomic Data

    Associate Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Understanding the function of sodium channel accessory proteins to develop new treatments for chronic pain

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Jennifer Deuis, Professor Irina Vetter

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Complex Data Analysis Problems in NMR-based Metabolomics

    Associate Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Structural and biochemical characterization of dual enzymatic activity of TIR domains from plant innate immune receptors

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Natsumi Maruta, Professor Bostjan Kobe

Completed supervision

Enquiries

Contact Professor Mehdi Mobli directly for media enquiries about:

  • Mechanism of voltage gating by voltage-gated ion channels
  • Structure guided drug design
  • Structure guided evolution of venom peptides

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