Supervisor(s): Prof Ian Graham, and Prof Gideon Davies
Project Title: Structural analysis of dioxygenases from opium poppy: towards the production of new biocatalytic tools for morphinan production
Project Summary:
I am working to discover the structure of two enzymes from opium poppy that are involved in the biosynthesis of morphine and codeine. The pathway to morphine splits into two routes because these two enzymes perform similar modifications but act on different positions of the same molecule. My project is to discover how these enzymes function and what gives them their specificity.
Biography:
I received a 2.i BSc with honours in Biochemistry from the University of Leeds in 2012. I then went on to work as a research technician in the Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology under Dr A. Pearson. I am currently working towards a PhD in mechanistic biology, studying dioxygenases from opium poppy under the supervision of Prof. I. Graham and Prof. G. Davies.