Overview
Background
Michael Healy is an NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow at the University of Queensland's Institute for Molecular Bioscience. He is a structural biologist with expertise in protein structure determination, membrane trafficking, and computational protein design.
Michael's early research focused on the Commander complex, a key regulator of membrane trafficking in cells. He resolved the first structure of this complex using a combination of X-ray crystallography, cryo-electron microscopy, and machine learning approaches, including AlphaFold2. This work was publised in Cell (2023) and established him as a respected member of Australia's computational structural biology community. Where he is known for training researchers from diverse backgrounds in the application of AlphaFold2 and its derivatives.
Currently, supported by NHMRC funding, Michael is developing novel biologics that target membrane trafficking complexes. His work ivestigates, Molecular tool development, Biosensor design and development of theraputic candidates. His research combines cutting-edge computational protein design with experimental validation to advance new strategies for probing and manipulating membrane trafficking pathways.
Availability
- Dr Michael Healy is:
- Available for supervision
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy of Protein Trafficking, University of Queensland
Research interests
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Structural biology
Resolving to atomic resolution the details of how biological molecules are assembled together and interact with each other.
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Protein and Peptide design
The design of novel protein sequences that can be programmed to have unique functions in the cell.
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Membrane Trafficking
The basis for movement of molecules between cellular organelles essential for cell homeostasis.
Works
Search Professor Michael Healy’s works on UQ eSpace
Featured
2024
Journal Article
Mechanism and regulation of cargo entry into the Commander endosomal recycling pathway
Butkovič, Rebeka, Walker, Alexander P., Healy, Michael D., McNally, Kerrie E., Liu, Meihan, Veenendaal, Tineke, Kato, Kohji, Liv, Nalan, Klumperman, Judith, Collins, Brett M. and Cullen, Peter J. (2024). Mechanism and regulation of cargo entry into the Commander endosomal recycling pathway. Nature Communications, 15 (1) 7180, 1-15. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-50971-0
2023
Journal Article
Structure of the endosomal Commander complex linked to Ritscher-Schinzel syndrome
Healy, Michael D., McNally, Kerrie E., Butkovič, Rebeka, Chilton, Molly, Kato, Kohji, Sacharz, Joanna, McConville, Calum, Moody, Edmund R. R., Shaw, Shrestha, Planelles-Herrero, Vicente J., Yadav, Sathish K. N., Ross, Jennifer, Borucu, Ufuk, Palmer, Catherine S., Chen, Kai-En, Croll, Tristan I., Hall, Ryan J., Caruana, Nikeisha J., Ghai, Rajesh, Nguyen, Thi H. D., Heesom, Kate J., Saitoh, Shinji, Berger, Imre, Schaffitzel, Christiane, Williams, Tom A., Stroud, David A., Derivery, Emmanuel, Collins, Brett M. and Cullen, Peter J. (2023). Structure of the endosomal Commander complex linked to Ritscher-Schinzel syndrome. Cell, 186 (10), 2219-2237.e29. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.04.003
Featured
2021
Journal Article
De novo macrocyclic peptides for inhibiting, stabilizing, and probing the function of the retromer endosomal trafficking complex
Chen, Kai-En, Guo, Qian, Hill, Timothy A., Cui, Yi, Kendall, Amy K., Yang, Zhe, Hall, Ryan J., Healy, Michael D., Sacharz, Joanna, Norwood, Suzanne J., Fonseka, Sachini, Xie, Boyang, Reid, Robert C., Leneva, Natalya, Parton, Robert G., Ghai, Rajesh, Stroud, David A., Fairlie, David P, Suga, Hiroaki, Jackson, Lauren P., Teasdale, Rohan D., Passioura, Toby and Collins, Brett M. (2021). De novo macrocyclic peptides for inhibiting, stabilizing, and probing the function of the retromer endosomal trafficking complex. Science Advances, 7 (49) eabg4007, eabg4007. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abg4007
2019
Journal Article
Towards a molecular understanding of endosomal trafficking by Retromer and Retriever
Chen, Kai‐En, Healy, Michael D. and Collins, Brett M. (2019). Towards a molecular understanding of endosomal trafficking by Retromer and Retriever. Traffic, 20 (7) tra.12649, 465-478. doi: 10.1111/tra.12649
2024
Journal Article
Interrogation and validation of the interactome of neuronal Munc18-interacting Mint proteins with AlphaFold2
Weeratunga, Saroja, Gormal, Rachel S., Liu, Meihan, Eldershaw, Denaye, Livingstone, Emma K., Malapaka, Anusha, Wallis, Tristan P., Bademosi, Adekunle T., Jiang, Anmin, Healy, Michael D., Meunier, Frederic A. and Collins, Brett M. (2024). Interrogation and validation of the interactome of neuronal Munc18-interacting Mint proteins with AlphaFold2. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 300 (1) 105541, 105541. doi: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105541
2023
Journal Article
The PDLIM family of actin-associated proteins and their emerging role in membrane trafficking
Healy, Michael D. and Collins, Brett M. (2023). The PDLIM family of actin-associated proteins and their emerging role in membrane trafficking. Biochemical Society Transactions, 51 (6), 2005-2016. doi: 10.1042/bst20220804
2023
Journal Article
CRISPR-Cas9 direct fusions for improved genome editing via enhanced homologous recombination
Tabassum, Tahmina, Pietrogrande, Giovanni, Healy, Michael and Wolvetang, Ernst J. (2023). CRISPR-Cas9 direct fusions for improved genome editing via enhanced homologous recombination. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24 (19) 14701, 1-17. doi: 10.3390/ijms241914701
2023
Conference Publication
Structure of the endosomal Commander complex mutated in Ritscher-Schinzel syndrome: combining crystallography, cryo-EM and AlphaFold2
Healy, Michael D., McNally, Kerrie E., Butkovic, Rebeka, Chilton, Molly, Kato, Kohji, Sacharz, Joanna, McConville, Calum, Moody, Edmund R. R., Shaw, Shrestha, Planelles-Herrero, Vicente J. and Sathish, K. N. (2023). Structure of the endosomal Commander complex mutated in Ritscher-Schinzel syndrome: combining crystallography, cryo-EM and AlphaFold2. XXVI IUCr Congress, Melbourne, VIC Australia, 22-29 August 2023. Hoboken, NJ United States: Wiley-Blackwell. doi: 10.1107/s2053273323090538
2022
Journal Article
Proteomic identification and structural basis for the interaction between sorting nexin SNX17 and PDLIM family proteins
Healy, Michael D., Sacharz, Joanna, McNally, Kerrie E., McConville, Calum, Tillu, Vikas A., Hall, Ryan J., Chilton, Molly, Cullen, Peter J., Mobli, Mehdi, Ghai, Rajesh, Stroud, David A. and Collins, Brett M. (2022). Proteomic identification and structural basis for the interaction between sorting nexin SNX17 and PDLIM family proteins. Structure, 30 (12), 1590-1602.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.str.2022.10.001
2021
Other Outputs
Structural and functional characterisation of the commander trafficking complex and accessory proteins
Healy, Michael (2021). Structural and functional characterisation of the commander trafficking complex and accessory proteins. PhD Thesis, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/4930e26
2019
Journal Article
Elucidating the lipid binding properties of membrane-active peptides using cyclised nanodiscs
Zhang, Alan H., Edwards, Ingrid A., Mishra, Biswa P., Sharma, Gagan, Healy, Michael D., Elliott, Alysha, Blaskovich, Mark A. T., Cooper, Matthew A., Collins, Brett M., Jia, Xinying and Mobli, Mehdi (2019). Elucidating the lipid binding properties of membrane-active peptides using cyclised nanodiscs. Frontiers in Chemistry, 7 (MAR) 238, 238. doi: 10.3389/fchem.2019.00238
2018
Journal Article
Structural insights into the architecture and membrane interactions of the conserved COMMD proteins
Healy, Michael D., Hospenthal, Manuela K., Hall, Ryan J., Chandra, Mintu, Chilton, Molly, Tillu, Vikas, Chen, Kai-En, Celligoi, Dion J., McDonald, Fiona J., Cullen, Peter J., Lott, J. Shaun, Collins, Brett M. and Ghai, Rajesh (2018). Structural insights into the architecture and membrane interactions of the conserved COMMD proteins. eLife, 7 e35898. doi: 10.7554/elife.35898
2017
Journal Article
Structural mechanisms for α-conotoxin activity at the human α3β4 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor
Abraham, Nikita, Healy, Michael, Ragnarsson, Lotten, Brust, Andreas, Alewood, Paul F. and Lewis, Richard J. (2017). Structural mechanisms for α-conotoxin activity at the human α3β4 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. Scientific Reports, 7 (1) 45466, 45466. doi: 10.1038/srep45466
Funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Michael Healy is:
- Available for supervision
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Media
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