Michael Landsberg

The arrival of the 'genomic era' at the start of the 21st century brought with it unprecedented capabilities to identify the genes and proteins that are linked to human diseases. But in the current, post-genomic era, it has become increasingly clear that a list of genes involved in disease is not enough. Genes and the proteins they encode rarely act in isolation; rather they form networks of interactions with proteins and other molecules. In order to understand how proteins maintain normal cellular function, how disfunctional proteins contribute to illness and disease, and to harness the potential of proteins to be used and targeted for health and biotechnological advancement, it is critical that we obtain a full appreciation of how proteins come together and interact, and how this translates to specifc functional consequences.

Dr Landsberg's research reflects a particular interest in a number of biological phenomena that are the result of proteins and other molecules coming together to function as multi-component molecular machineries. Together with colleagues, he discovered how a new family of bacterial pore-forming protein toxins are assembled into a multi-functional protein machinery that combines maturation, folding, transportation, targeting and injection of a potent cytotoxin into susceptible cells. These toxins were originally discovered in bateria that are naturally-occuring pathogens of insects and our discoveries have helped to guide strategies which might prove useful in the development of new biopesticides based on pore-forming toxins. His research interests also include manipulating the function of these proteins for other biotechnological applications that benefit from the targeted delivery of proteins and peptides to cells. Dr Landsberg also seeks to understand the role of multi-component protein machineries in endosomal protein trafficking, virus infection, immune signalling, the maintenance of genomic DNA structure, nucleoside biosynthesis and the movement of ions and small molecules across cellular membranes as facilitated by ion channel proteins. An improved understanding of these processes has the potential to do deliver impacts for the treatment of infectious diseases associated with pathogenic bacteria and viruses (e.g. HIV/AIDS, Ebola, Dengue and Zika viruses); various cancers; diseases of inflammation and immunity (e.g. arthrititis and auto-immune diseases) and the prevention of ischaemia following stroke.