Tara Shutes

Profile

Project: Chemical biology approaches to study and modulate protein phosphatases

Summary: Most processes in the cell are regulated by the phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of proteins, which is carried out by protein kinases (PKs) and protein phosphatases (PPs) respectively. Their central role in the cell means that understanding how PKs and PPs work is key to a range of research areas, from investigating the fundamentals of cell functioning to considering new avenues for drug design and development. However, while PKs are well-characterised and already the target of over 70 clinically approved therapies, PPs are comparatively under-studied and under-modulated.

The project focusses on developing and optimising covalent probes to target and control the function of specific PPs, with the aim of addressing phosphorylated targets in cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. These probes will be used to further understand the functionality and localisation of PPs in live cells, as well as to validate novel therapeutic approaches exploiting PPs.

Supervisor:

• Dr Elena De Vita

Research