Structural Biology of Molecular Machines

Hu et al., Nature, 2025

In the Taylor group, we are fascinated by molecular machines. We are especially interested in their structure and mechanism, with a possible outlook to in the future modify these complexes for biotechnological processes. We use cryo-electron microscopy and cryo-electron tomography to study these systems, as well as protein design. More specifically, we study:

a) Bacteriophages and contractile injection systems
b) Anti-phage defense systems
c) Bacterial motility and molecular motors

We are always on the lookout for motivated bachelor or master students to undertake their research projects or internships in our group.

What you could learn:

  • Cloning, protein expression and purification
  • Purification of large molecular machines and membrane
  • proteins and complexes
  • Cryo-electron microscopy data collection and processing
  • Model building, also of large complexes
  • Introduction to cryo-electron tomography
  • Protein design

Some possible bachelor and master projects:

  • Structural characterization of phages with cryo-EM
  • Cryo-EM of a flagellotropic phage
  • Towards cryo-ET of a flagellotropic phage
  • Structural biology of an anti-phage defense systen

If you are interested, please contact Prof. Nicholas M.I. Taylor (nicholas.taylor@sund.ku.dk)

We also support starting in the lab earlier than the thesis, from BSc level.

References:

  1. Ejaz RN, …, Taylor NMI (2025) Structure of a contractile injection system in Salmonella enterica subsp. salamae. bioRxiv 2025.06.01.657177.
  2. Marín-Arraiza L, …, Taylor NMI (2025) Structural characterization of an extracellular contractile injection system from Photorhabdus luminescens in extended and contracted states. Nat. Commun. 10.1038/s41467-025-64377-z.
  3. Klein-Sousa V, Roa-Eguiara A, Kielkopf CS, Sofos N, Taylor NMI (2025) RBPseg: Towards a complete phage tail fiber structure atlas. Sci. Adv. 11, eadv0870.
  4. Hu H*#, Popp PF*, …, Erhardt M#, Jackson SA#, Taylor NMI# (2025) Structure and mechanism of the Zorya anti-phage defense system. Nature 639, 1039-101.
  5. Hu H, Popp PF, Santiveri M, Roa-Eguiara A, Yan Y, Martin FJO, Liu Z, Wadhwa N, Wang Y, Erhardt M, Taylor NMI (2023) Ion selectivity and rotor coupling in the bacterial flagellar sodium-driven stator unit. Nat. Commun. 14, 4411.
  6. Santiveri S, Roa-Eguiara A, Kühne C, Wadhwa N, Hu H, Berg HC, Erhardt M, Taylor NMI (2020) Structure and function of stator units of the bacterial flagellar motor. Cell 183(1), 244-57.e16.
  7. Raimondo LM, Lundh NP, Martinez RJ. (1968) Primary Adsorption Site of Phage PBS1: the Flagellum of Bacillus subtilis. J. Virol. 2(3), 256-64.