A study aimed at increasing understanding of how cells function has received funding of £6.4 million.
The research will focus on a process known as S-acylation, in which fatty acids become attached to cellular proteins, with impacts on many important processes including neuronal communication, cardiac function, and immune responses.
The work will develop and implement new tools and technologies to build a holistic understanding of the mechanisms and outcomes of protein S-acylation – and how this process controls cell function.
The new project will bring together a UK-wide team of researchers to advance the field and develop a blueprint for understanding S-acylation and its wider effects.
The project is led by the University of Strathclyde in collaboration with the University of Glasgow, alongside the Universities of Oxford, Coventry University and Imperial College London. The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) has awarded the funding through its sLoLa (Strategic Longer and Larger) Programme.
Professor Luke Chamberlain, of the Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, the lead researcher in the project, said: “This is fundamental research that aims to delineate new mechanisms controlling cell physiology. Fatty acids are added to a diverse pool of cellular proteins and this is essential for a wide range of cellular processes.
“In addition to providing important new information on the rules of life, the work could also lead to ideas for new therapeutic opportunities and targets - this is because defects in S-acylation have been linked to several diseases and disorders.
“This study will benefit greatly from a team science approach. By bringing together experts in S-acylation and key enabling technologies the work is poised to make major progress in this field of research.”
Professor Chamberlain is joined in the research team by: Professor Nicholas Tomkinson and Dr Rebecca Beveridge, both of Strathclyde’s Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry; Professor Helen Walden and Professor Will Fuller of Glasgow; Dr Jennifer Greaves of Coventry; Professor Ed Tate of Imperial College London, and Professor Christian Siebold of Oxford.
Professor Helen Walden, Head of the University of Glasgow’s School of Molecular Biosciences and Professor of Structural Biology, said; “We are excited to have the opportunity to work with scientists across the UK to bring this essential modification to the forefront of our understanding of cellular function.
“The work we are planning over the next 5 years will rewrite the textbooks. We will develop new drugs, understand how the enzymes that catalyse this modification actually work and are controlled by the cell, and uncover new cellular pathways controlled by S-acylation.”
Professor Will Fuller, Professor of Molecular Physiology at the University of Glasgow, said: “The worked planned at the Universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde will significantly enhance our research capabilities and help us train cohort of scientists in a collaborative and multi-disciplinary ecosystem.
“We're opening a new chapter in cellular biology that could transform how we approach everything from neurological disorders to cardiac diseases.”
**Enquiries: ali.howard@glasgow.ac.uk or elizabeth.mcmeekin@glasgow.ac.uk**
**First published: 13 December 2024**