Bioanalytical tools to investigate the role of metalloproteins in Alzheimer’s disease and Motor Neuron Disease.

Trace elements are an essential requirement for life. Transition elements, including copper (Cu), iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn), are used to catalyse a wonderful array of reactions throughout all kingdoms of nature.

Aims

This project will investigate the role of metalloproteins in the neurodegenerative process.

It is then no surprise that the most complex organ to have evolved, the brain, is a rich source of transition metal chemistry. However, we still lack the detailed understanding of how transition elements and the biomolecules that rely on them are involved in the function of the brain.

Alzheimer’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND), both have a rich history indicating a critical role of trace elements Cu, Fe, and Zn in their pathophysiology.

My lab has implemented bioanalytical tools that allow us to investigate the role metalloproteins have in neurodegeneration.