Peak Proteins Welcomes Dr Katie Jameson
Peak Proteins is delighted to welcome Dr Katie Jameson. An innovative and experienced biochemist with a passion for protein science, Katie has extensive knowledge and experience in cloning, protein expression and protein purification techniques. Changing course from a career in academia, Katie is looking forward to joining industry and putting her skills to good use in the field of drug discovery.
Shifting from Chemistry to Biochemistry
Katie studied at the University of York and graduated with a MChem. Studying biochemistry modules whenever she could, including during her final year project, where Katie cloned, expressed, and purified bacterial proteins for characterisation.
Having really enjoyed her last year of research for her first degree, Katie decided to stay on at the University and carry out research for a PhD. Interested in structure determination, Katie solved 2 protein structures relevant to understanding bacterial DNA replication regulation. Katie’s PhD title was “Structural and Biophysical Investigations of Two Negative Regulators of DNA Replication Initiation in Bacillus subtilis: YabA and SirA”.
During her PhD, Katie won a travel grant for the Biochemistry Society and attended the EMBO “DNA Replication Chromosome Segregation and Cell Division” conference.
Katie has also spoken about X-ray crystallography and its use in medical research including protein-drug interactions at the York Festival of Ideas. York Festival of Ideas was launched in June 2011 as a partnership between the University of York, York Theatre Royal, York Museums Trust, the National Centre for Early Music, and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Its objective is to enhance York’s reputation as a city of ideas and innovation through offering the highest calibre of public events to local, regional and visitor audiences.
Working as a Postdoctoral Associate
Katie joined the Institute of Integrative Biology at the University of Liverpool, as a Postdoctoral Research Associate as part of a multidisciplinary team carrying out research into humane rodent control. Rodents consume or contaminate >7% of the world’s food supply. The team was trying to identify a way of improving rodent control methods and make them more humane. e.g. by attracting the rodents away from food. Katie cloned, expressed, and purified many proteins including pheromone-binding proteins, both wildtype and engineered mutants, for structure determination, ligand binding studies and for the team to use in mouse behavioural bioassays. During this time, Katie solved 4 protein-ligand structures using X-ray crystallography.
Leaving Liverpool and briefly working as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Leeds, Katie finally returned to the University of York working as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Biology.
Katie commented, “I have a great fascination with the structural determination of proteins and was particularly interested in learning cryo-EM at the University of York. I obtained some preliminary results but am still very interested in working on cryo-EM projects in the future.”
Work at Peak Proteins
Katie added, “I enjoyed working on academic projects and I learned a great deal from my time as a Postdoctoral Research Associate. I didn’t want to focus on a specific area of protein science but I did particularly want to work in an area that provided a significant contribution to society. Drug discovery and Peak Proteins fitted the bill perfectly!”
Dr Christopher Cooper, Director of Protein Science commented, “We are delighted to welcome Katie to the Peak Proteins team. Katie has significant experience in protein expression, purification and structural characterisation from her academic research, and we are excited for her to apply those skills to our protein pipelines in our expanding business.”
Life Outside Work
Katie spends her spare time doing cross stitch. “I produce cross stitch squares for a national charity called Love Quilts UK. They are a world-wide group of volunteer stitchers and quilters who cross stitch squares for children under the age of 19 years, who have life threatening or life-long illnesses. The squares are very personal to the child and are made into beautiful quilts.”
Katie added, “I also walk but don’t do anything as exhausting as some members of the Peak Proteins Team!”
