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Staff Profiles

Dr Peter Crowley

B.Sc.,Ph.D.

Contact Details

Professor
Chemistry
Room 220
Orbsen Building

T: +353 91 49 24 80
E: peter.crowley@nuigalway.ie
 
researcher

Biography

After graduating with first class honours in chemistry Peter joined the laboratory of Prof. G. W. Canters at Leiden University, The Netherlands. Working with his advisor Prof. M. Ubbink, he used NMR spectroscopy to study transient protein interactions involved in electron transport. This research was summarized in an invited paper in Accounts of Chemical Research.

From the Netherlands Peter headed south for sunnier climes. With a Marie Curie Postdoctoral fellowship he joined the lab of Prof. M. A. Carrondo at Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal. During this time he further developed his interest in molecular recognition. In particular, he demonstrated the importance of cation-pi interactions in protein interfaces.

In 2006, Peter returned to Ireland, working as a lecturer in Biochemistry at UCD, and since 2008 as a lecturer in Chemistry at NUI Galway. He was promoted in 2014 to Senior Lecturer and in 2017 to Personal Professor.  Current interests include protein self assembly and protein interactions under physiological conditions. For more information see publications. 

Research Interests

- Molecular Recognition
- Protein Interactions
- Self Assembly
- Structural Biology
- NMR spectroscopy / X-ray crystallography
- In-cell NMR spectroscopy
- PEGylation

Video by Ciara Kyne and CELT on protein interactions in cell extracts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_549N4wHCjk

Highlight of our Nature Chemistry 2012 paper
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOTWEPF925c

Video by James Ward and William Smith for "distil life' exhibition in 2011
https://vimeo.com/32684138





Peer Reviewed Journals

  Year Publication
(2016) 'Grasping the nature of the cell interior: from Physiological Chemistry to Chemical Biology'
Kyne C, Crowley PB. (2016) 'Grasping the nature of the cell interior: from Physiological Chemistry to Chemical Biology'. Febs J, [DOI] [Details]
(2017) 'Protein charge determination and implications for interactions in cell extracts'
Kyne, C,Jordon, K,Filoti, DI,Laue, TM,Crowley, PB (2017) 'Protein charge determination and implications for interactions in cell extracts'. Protein Science, 26 :258-267 [DOI] [Details]
(2017) 'Protein Dimerization on a Phosphonated Calix[6]arene Disc'
Rennie, ML,Doolan, AM,Raston, CL,Crowley, PB (2017) 'Protein Dimerization on a Phosphonated Calix[6]arene Disc'. Angewandte Chemie-International Edition, 56 :5517-5521 [DOI] [Details]
(2016) 'Noncovalent PEGylation via Lectin-Glycopolymer Interactions'
Antonik, PM,Eissa, AM,Round, AR,Cameron, NR,Crowley, PB (2016) 'Noncovalent PEGylation via Lectin-Glycopolymer Interactions'. Biomacromolecules, 17 :2719-2725 [DOI] [Details]
(2016) 'Anomer-Specific Recognition and Dynamics in a Fucose-Binding Lectin'
Antonik, PM,Volkov, AN,Broder, UN,Lo Re, D,van Nuland, NAJ,Crowley, PB (2016) 'Anomer-Specific Recognition and Dynamics in a Fucose-Binding Lectin'. Biochemistry, 55 :1195-1203 [DOI] [Details]
(2016) 'Protein Camouflage: Supramolecular Anion Recognition by Ubiquitin'
Mallon, M,Dutt, S,Schrader, T,Crowley, PB (2016) 'Protein Camouflage: Supramolecular Anion Recognition by Ubiquitin'. Chembiochem, 17 :774-783 [DOI] [Details]
(2015) 'Structure of a PEGylated protein reveals a highly porous double-helical assembly'
Cattani, G,Vogeley, L,Crowley, PB (2015) 'Structure of a PEGylated protein reveals a highly porous double-helical assembly'. Nature Chemistry, 7 :823-828 [DOI] [Details]
(2015) 'Microscale Crystals of Cytochromec and Calixarene on Electrodes: Interprotein Electron Transfer between Defined Sites'
McGovern, RE,Feifel, SC,Lisdat, F,Crowley, PB (2015) 'Microscale Crystals of Cytochromec and Calixarene on Electrodes: Interprotein Electron Transfer between Defined Sites'. Angewandte Chemie-International Edition, 54 :6356-6359 [DOI] [Details]
(2015) 'Specific ion effects on macromolecular interactions in Escherichia coli extracts'
Kyne, C,Ruhle, B,Gautier, VW,Crowley, PB (2015) 'Specific ion effects on macromolecular interactions in Escherichia coli extracts'. Protein Science, 24 :310-318 [DOI] [Details]
(2015) 'Structural study of a small molecule receptor bound to dimethyllysine in lysozyme'
McGovern, RE,Snarr, BD,Lyons, JA,McFarlane, J,Whiting, AL,Paci, I,Hof, F,Crowley, PB (2015) 'Structural study of a small molecule receptor bound to dimethyllysine in lysozyme'. Chemical Science, 6 :442-449 [DOI] [Details]
(2014) 'Study of Cytochrome c-DNA Interaction - Evaluation of Binding Sites on the Redox Protein'
Wettstein, C,Kyne, C,Doolan, AM,Mohwald, H,Crowley, PB,Lisdat, F (2014) 'Study of Cytochrome c-DNA Interaction - Evaluation of Binding Sites on the Redox Protein'. Nanoscale, 6 :13779-13786 [DOI] [Details]
(2014) 'Protein assembly mediated by sulfonatocalix[4]arene'
McGovern, RE,McCarthy, AA,Crowley, PB (2014) 'Protein assembly mediated by sulfonatocalix[4]arene'. Chemical Communications, 50 :10412-10415 [DOI] [Details]
(2012) 'Protein camouflage in cytochrome c-calixarene complexes'
McGovern, RE,Fernandes, H,Khan, AR,Power, NP,Crowley, PB (2012) 'Protein camouflage in cytochrome c-calixarene complexes'. Nature Chemistry, 4 :527-533 [DOI] [Details]
(2012) 'Simple and inexpensive incorporation of (19)F-Tryptophan for protein NMR spectroscopy'
Crowley PB, Kyne C, Monteith WB. (2012) 'Simple and inexpensive incorporation of (19)F-Tryptophan for protein NMR spectroscopy'. Chemical Communications (Cambridge, England), [Details]
(2011) 'Protein Interactions in the Escherichia coli Cytosol: An Impediment to In-Cell NMR Spectroscopy'
Crowley,P.B.,Chow, E.,Papkovskaia, T. (2011) 'Protein Interactions in the Escherichia coli Cytosol: An Impediment to In-Cell NMR Spectroscopy'. ChemBioChem, 12 (7):1043-1048 [DOI] [Details]
(2011) 'Protein Interactions in the Escherichia coli Cytosol: An Impediment to In-Cell NMR Spectroscopy'
Crowley, PB,Chow, E,Papkovskaia, T (2011) 'Protein Interactions in the Escherichia coli Cytosol: An Impediment to In-Cell NMR Spectroscopy'. Chembiochem, 12 :1043-1048 [DOI] [Details]
(2010) 'Titration_DB: Storage analysis of NMR-monitored protein pH titration curves'
Farrell,D., Sá-Mira,E., Webb,H, Georgi, N., Crowley,P.B., McIntosh,L.P., Nielsen,J.E. (2010) 'Titration_DB: Storage analysis of NMR-monitored protein pH titration curves'. Proteins: Structure, Function And Bioformatics, 78 :843-857 [Details]
(2009) 'Metal-Mediated Self-Assembly of a beta-Sandwich Protein'
Crowley, PB,Matias, PM,Khan, AR,Roessle, M,Svergun, DI (2009) 'Metal-Mediated Self-Assembly of a beta-Sandwich Protein'. Chemistry-A European Journal, 15 :12672-12680 [DOI] [Details]
(2008) 'NMR spectroscopy revceals cytochrome c-poly(ethylene glycol) interactions'
Crowley,P.B.,Brett, K.,Muldoon, J. (2008) 'NMR spectroscopy revceals cytochrome c-poly(ethylene glycol) interactions'. ChemBioChem, 9 (5) [Details]
(2008) 'Interaction tuning of the active site properties of metalloproteins'
Yanagisawa, S.,Dennison, C.,Crowley, P.B.,Firbank, S.J.,Lawler, A.T.,Hunter, D.M.,McFarlane, W.,Li, C.,Kohzuma, T.,Banfield, M.J. (2008) 'Interaction tuning of the active site properties of metalloproteins'. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 130 (46) [Details]
(2008) 'Protein surface recognition: Structural characterisation of cytochrome c-porphyrin complexes'
Crowley,P.B.,Ganji, P.,Ibrahim, H. (2008) 'Protein surface recognition: Structural characterisation of cytochrome c-porphyrin complexes'. ChemBioChem, 9 (7) [Details]
(2008) 'Quaternary Structure of Flavorubredoxin as Revealed by Synchrotron Radiation Small-Angle X-Ray Scattering'
Petoukhov, M.V.,Vicente, J.B.,Crowley, P.B.,Carrondo, M.A.,Teixeira, M.,Svergun, D.I. (2008) 'Quaternary Structure of Flavorubredoxin as Revealed by Synchrotron Radiation Small-Angle X-Ray Scattering'. Structure, 16 (9) [Details]
(2008) 'Regulation of protein function: Crystal packing interfaces and conformational dimerization'
Crowley, P.B.,Matias, P.M.,Mi, H.,Firbank, S.J.,Banfield, M.J.,Dennison, C. (2008) 'Regulation of protein function: Crystal packing interfaces and conformational dimerization'. Biochemistry, 47 (25) [Details]
(2007) 'Transient protein interactions of cytochrome f and the phytocyanin umecyanin'
Sato,K.,Crowley,P.B.,Dennison,C. (2007) 'Transient protein interactions of cytochrome f and the phytocyanin umecyanin'. ChemBioChem, 8 :732-735 [Details]
(2005) 'Cation-pi interactions in protein-protein interfaces'
Crowley,P.B.,Golovin,A. (2005) 'Cation-pi interactions in protein-protein interfaces'. Proteins: Structure, Function And Bioformatics, 59 :231-239 [Details]
(2005) 'Transient homodimer interactions studied using the electron self-exchange reaction'
Sato, K.,Crowley, P.B.,Dennison, C. (2005) 'Transient homodimer interactions studied using the electron self-exchange reaction'. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 280 (19) [Details]
(2005) 'Different modes of interaction in cyanobacterial complexes of plastocyanin and cytochrome f'
Diaz-Moreno,I.,Diaz-Quintana,A.,De La Rosa, M.A.,Crowley,P.B.,Ubbink, M. (2005) 'Different modes of interaction in cyanobacterial complexes of plastocyanin and cytochrome f'. Biochemistry, 44 (9) [Details]
(2004) 'The Architecture of the Binding Site in Redox Protein Complexes: Implications for Fast Dissociation'
Crowley,P.B.,Carrondo, M.A. (2004) 'The Architecture of the Binding Site in Redox Protein Complexes: Implications for Fast Dissociation'. Proteins: Structure, Function and Genetics, 55 (3) [Details]
(2004) 'The parsley plastocyanin-turnip cytochrome f complex: A structurally distorted but kinetically functional acidic patch'
Crowley, P.B.,Hunter, D.M.,Sato, K.,McFarlane, W.,Dennison, C. (2004) 'The parsley plastocyanin-turnip cytochrome f complex: A structurally distorted but kinetically functional acidic patch'. Biochemical Journal, 378 (1) [Details]
(2003) 'Close Encounters of the Transient Kind: Protein Interactions in the Photosynthetic Redox Chain Investigated by NMR Spectroscopy'
Crowley, P.B.,Ubbink, M. (2003) 'Close Encounters of the Transient Kind: Protein Interactions in the Photosynthetic Redox Chain Investigated by NMR Spectroscopy'. Accounts of Chemical Research, 36 (10) [Details]
(2002) 'The interactions of cyanobacterial cytochrome c6 and cytochrome f, characterized by NMR'
Crowley, P.B.,Diaz-Quintana, A.,Molina-Heredia, F.P.,Nieto, P.,Sutter, M.,Haehnel, W.,De la Rosa, M.A.,Ubbink, M. (2002) 'The interactions of cyanobacterial cytochrome c6 and cytochrome f, characterized by NMR'. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 277 (50) [Details]
(2002) 'Co-operative ortho-effects on the Wittig reaction Interpretation of stereoselectivity in the reaction of ortho-halo-substituted benzaldehydes and benzylidenetriphenyl-phosphoranes'
Dunne,E.C.,Coyne,E.J.,Crowley,P.B.,Gilheany,D.G. (2002) 'Co-operative ortho-effects on the Wittig reaction Interpretation of stereoselectivity in the reaction of ortho-halo-substituted benzaldehydes and benzylidenetriphenyl-phosphoranes'. Tetrahedron Lett, 43 :2449-2453 [Details]
(2002) 'Myoglobin and cytochrome b5: A nuclear magnetic resonance study of a highly dynamic protein complex'
Worrall, J.A.R.,Liu, Y.,Crowley, P.B.,Nocek, J.M.,Hoffman, B.M.,Ubbink, M. (2002) 'Myoglobin and cytochrome b5: A nuclear magnetic resonance study of a highly dynamic protein complex'. Biochemistry, 41 (39) [Details]
(2002) 'The ternary complex of cytochrome f and cytochrome c: Identification of a second binding site and competition for plastocyanin binding'
Crowley, P.B.,Rabe, K.S.,Worrall, J.A.R.,Canters, G.W.,Ubbink, M. (2002) 'The ternary complex of cytochrome f and cytochrome c: Identification of a second binding site and competition for plastocyanin binding'. ChemBioChem, 3 (6) [Details]
(2002) 'Plastocyanin-cytochrome f interactions: The influence of hydrophobic patch mutations studied by NMR spectroscopy'
Crowley,P.B.,Vintonenko, N.,Bullerjahn,G.S,Ubbink,M. (2002) 'Plastocyanin-cytochrome f interactions: The influence of hydrophobic patch mutations studied by NMR spectroscopy'. Biochemistry, 41 :15698-15705 [Details]
(2001) 'Hydrophobic interactions in a cyanobacterial plastocyanin - Cytochrome f complex'
Crowley,P.B.,Otting, G.,Schlarb-Ridley, B.G.,Canters, G.W.,Ubbink, M. (2001) 'Hydrophobic interactions in a cyanobacterial plastocyanin - Cytochrome f complex'. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 123 (43) [Details]
(2000) 'Angle restraints in protein backbones from dipole-dipole cross-correlation between 1HN-15N and 1HN-1H vectors'
Crowley, P.,Ubbink,M.,Otting.G. (2000) 'Angle restraints in protein backbones from dipole-dipole cross-correlation between 1HN-15N and 1HN-1H vectors'. Journal Of The American Chemical Society, 122 :2968-2969 [Details]

Abstract

  Year Publication
(2015) Effects of cell-like infrastructures on transient protein interactions.
Kyne, C,Crowley, P (2015) Effects of cell-like infrastructures on transient protein interactions. Abstract [Details]
(2015) Selective Recognition and Assembly in Protein-Small molecule Interactions.
Doolan, AM,Jurgens, MC,Khan, AR,Crowley, PB (2015) Selective Recognition and Assembly in Protein-Small molecule Interactions. Abstract [Details]

Teaching Interests

Peter contributes to various lecture and practical courses in the School of Chemistry, including:
CH4108 - Protein interactions and structural biology (12 lectures)
CH4109 - Protein-based therapeutics (8 lectures)
CH311 - Protein structure and natural products (9 lectures)
CH333 - Protein isolation and purification (practical course)
CH3101 - Computers in chemical research (practical course)
CH205 - Bioanalytical chemistry (3 lectures)




Recent Postgraduate Students

  Graduation Name Degree Primary Supervisor
2014 Roise Mc Govern PhD Y
2015 Madeleine Mallon Msc Y
2015 Giada Cattani PhD Y

Internal Collaborators

  Name Description of Collaboration
Internal Collaborators
Dr. Andrew FlausProf. Kevin Sullivan

External Collaborators

  Name Organisation / Institute Country Description of Collaboration
External Collaborators
Prof. Christopher Dennison (Newcastle University) Prof. Jan van Hest (Radboud University Nijmegen) Dr. Amir Khan (Trinity College Dublin) Dr. Jens Nielsen (University College Dublin) Prof. Gary Pielak (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) Dr. Dmitri Svergun (EMBL, Hamburg)