HOOGENBOOM1	Physics of membrane perforation in bacterial attack and immune response
Type	Experimental
#students	1
Orientation	Why is the scientific problem of interest at all? Bacteria use nano-scale drills to attack host tissue (e.g. lung tissue in a bacterial lung infection), and similar tools are applied by our immune system to respond to invader or infected cells in our body. These drills consist of larger complexes of identical subunits, also called pore-forming proteins. We investigate how these subunits assemble on a cell membrane and perforate it, to first understand their mechanisms of action and next contribute to new therapeutic approaches to block it.
How	How is the research going to shed light on the given problem?. Our theoretical/computational approach is strongly rooted in statistical mechanics, using both rate equations and coarse-grain molecular dynamics simulations. Our experimental approach relies on advanced atomic force microscopy to visualise the process of membrane perforation in real time.
What	What is the specific thing that the student will do, and how does it fit inside the overall project? This project will further develop and apply these approaches, in a strongly interdisciplinary context and collaborating with leading life scientists.
Special Knowledge
Supervisor	Dr Bart Hoogenboomb.hoogenboom@ucl.ac.uk