Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

Jon Elkins

Social media

Jon Elkins

Principal Investigator, Cellular Signalling

We are a research group working at the interface between chemistry, biology and drug discovery.

We are interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms of proteins involved in cellular signalling, especially those involved in signalling via post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation or ADP-ribosylation. Phosphorylation is catalysed by protein kinases; there are over 500 protein kinases in the human genome and most of them remain poorly characterized despite their importance regulating physiology. Our approach is to use high resolution structural information for the generation of selective inhibitors (chemical probes) which we use to gain understanding of the functions of these largely uncharacterized proteins. Our lab generated a large repository of efficient expression systems, recombinant proteins and crystal structures that now enables family wide structural comparison and screening. ADP-ribosylation is important in numerous cellular processes; as well as a well-established role in DNA damage detection and repair it is also important for host-virus interactions, epigenetic regulation and metabolism. We also have interests in lipid kinases and sphingolipid biosynthesis, which both have strong links to inflammation and cancer, and where mutations in the various proteins involved are associated with a variety of rare diseases.

Recent publications

More publications