Jonathan Worrall
@jarworrall.bsky.social
University of Essex Professor, heme and copper metalloenzymes, time-resolved structural biology and spectroscopy
Reposted by Jonathan Worrall
Very cool structures, congrats to all! #microsky
Link seemed broken though so here's a working one:
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Link seemed broken though so here's a working one:
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Pleased to see this collaboration with a great PhD student Pei Cing Ng, from Prof. Luning Liu's lab at Liverpool University published. Structure of the H. neapolitanus carbonic anhydrase and localisation in a mini-carboxysome: www.pnas.org/doi/epdf/10....
November 13, 2025 at 1:44 PM
Very cool structures, congrats to all! #microsky
Link seemed broken though so here's a working one:
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Link seemed broken though so here's a working one:
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Reposted by Jonathan Worrall
Vincent, Morra, and Rodríguez-Maciá demonstrate that truncating the electron transfer domain of [FeFe]-hydrogenase does *not* diminish their catalytic efficiency (via ACS Catalysis).
doi.org/10.1021/acsc...
doi.org/10.1021/acsc...
Engineering the Electron Relay in [FeFe]-Hydrogenase Enhances Electrocatalytic H2 Evolution
H2 is an ideal energy vector, but catalysts for its clean production from water are inefficient or expensive. [FeFe]-hydrogenases are the most active H2-converting catalysts in nature, using a unique ...
doi.org
November 7, 2025 at 7:20 AM
Vincent, Morra, and Rodríguez-Maciá demonstrate that truncating the electron transfer domain of [FeFe]-hydrogenase does *not* diminish their catalytic efficiency (via ACS Catalysis).
doi.org/10.1021/acsc...
doi.org/10.1021/acsc...
Reposted by Jonathan Worrall
I am very excited to share our new preprint - "A Zundel Ion in the Catalytic Proton Transfer Pathway of [FeFe]-Hydrogenase" - for which we revisited an older theory of ours, and came to surprising conclusions... 🧵
doi.org/10.26434/che...
doi.org/10.26434/che...
November 6, 2025 at 12:40 PM
I am very excited to share our new preprint - "A Zundel Ion in the Catalytic Proton Transfer Pathway of [FeFe]-Hydrogenase" - for which we revisited an older theory of ours, and came to surprising conclusions... 🧵
doi.org/10.26434/che...
doi.org/10.26434/che...
Reposted by Jonathan Worrall
Cellulose biosynthesis and function in Streptomyces
@cp-trendsmicrobiol.bsky.social by Chennan Yang, @xiaobozhong.bsky.social and Dennis Claessen
www.cell.com/trends/micro...
@cp-trendsmicrobiol.bsky.social by Chennan Yang, @xiaobozhong.bsky.social and Dennis Claessen
www.cell.com/trends/micro...
Cellulose biosynthesis and function in Streptomyces
Cellulose, a ubiquitous polysaccharide with critical roles in life, provides structural
integrity to cells in plants and aids biofilm formation in many bacteria. Although
bacterial cellulose biosynthe...
www.cell.com
October 30, 2025 at 12:50 PM
Cellulose biosynthesis and function in Streptomyces
@cp-trendsmicrobiol.bsky.social by Chennan Yang, @xiaobozhong.bsky.social and Dennis Claessen
www.cell.com/trends/micro...
@cp-trendsmicrobiol.bsky.social by Chennan Yang, @xiaobozhong.bsky.social and Dennis Claessen
www.cell.com/trends/micro...
Reposted by Jonathan Worrall
The effort adopts community tools like FindGeo (MetalPDB) and MetalCoord (CCP4).
Details and example files are available at wwPDB.org
.
For queries: [email protected]
Details and example files are available at wwPDB.org
.
For queries: [email protected]
wwPDB: Worldwide Protein Data Bank
wwPDB: Worldwide Protein Data Bank
wwPDB.org
October 28, 2025 at 2:43 PM
The effort adopts community tools like FindGeo (MetalPDB) and MetalCoord (CCP4).
Details and example files are available at wwPDB.org
.
For queries: [email protected]
Details and example files are available at wwPDB.org
.
For queries: [email protected]
Reposted by Jonathan Worrall
Metalloproteins make up ~30% of the PDB archive.
To ensure FAIR data practices, wwPDB is remediating existing polyatomic metal-containing entries and CCDs — improving their chemical and coordination descriptions for better findability and reuse.
To ensure FAIR data practices, wwPDB is remediating existing polyatomic metal-containing entries and CCDs — improving their chemical and coordination descriptions for better findability and reuse.
October 28, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Metalloproteins make up ~30% of the PDB archive.
To ensure FAIR data practices, wwPDB is remediating existing polyatomic metal-containing entries and CCDs — improving their chemical and coordination descriptions for better findability and reuse.
To ensure FAIR data practices, wwPDB is remediating existing polyatomic metal-containing entries and CCDs — improving their chemical and coordination descriptions for better findability and reuse.
Reposted by Jonathan Worrall
I enjoyed contributing to this article from the @jarworrall.bsky.social lab at the @universityofessex.bsky.social during a visit over their summer. A first foray for me into P450 peroxygenase fatty acid decarboxylases to make alkenes from fatty acids.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
The cytochrome P450 decarboxylase from Staphylococcus aureus can produce a diene from a C18 monounsaturated fatty acid: A spectroscopic, structural and kinetic characterisation
Certain members of the bacterial cytochrome P450 152 family (CYP152) are peroxygenases that catalyse the decarboxylation of fatty acids into terminal …
www.sciencedirect.com
October 21, 2025 at 10:08 PM
I enjoyed contributing to this article from the @jarworrall.bsky.social lab at the @universityofessex.bsky.social during a visit over their summer. A first foray for me into P450 peroxygenase fatty acid decarboxylases to make alkenes from fatty acids.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Our first foray into the P450 world. Thanks to @bellp450enzyme.bsky.social for sharpening our GC-MS skill set @jamesbirrell.bsky.social for the microwaves😃 and Lewis for persevering 🧪
The cytochrome P450 decarboxylase from Staphylococcus aureus can produce a diene from a C18 monounsaturated fatty acid: A spectroscopic, structural and kinetic characterisation
Certain members of the bacterial cytochrome P450 152 family (CYP152) are peroxygenases that catalyse the decarboxylation of fatty acids into terminal …
www.sciencedirect.com
October 21, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Our first foray into the P450 world. Thanks to @bellp450enzyme.bsky.social for sharpening our GC-MS skill set @jamesbirrell.bsky.social for the microwaves😃 and Lewis for persevering 🧪
Reposted by Jonathan Worrall
Delightful combination of spectroscopies (electronic, microwave) and protein crystallography in @jarworrall.bsky.social's new paper on cytochrome P450 decarboxylase from Staphylococcus aureus 🤩
doi.org/10.1016/j.ji...
doi.org/10.1016/j.ji...
October 21, 2025 at 8:51 AM
Delightful combination of spectroscopies (electronic, microwave) and protein crystallography in @jarworrall.bsky.social's new paper on cytochrome P450 decarboxylase from Staphylococcus aureus 🤩
doi.org/10.1016/j.ji...
doi.org/10.1016/j.ji...
Reposted by Jonathan Worrall
How do protons get delivered to the active site of heme peroxidases? A combination of solvent channels and electric fields, say @petermoody.bsky.social
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Solvent Channels and Electric Fields Guide Proton Delivery to the Active Site of Heme Peroxidases
Electrostatic potential surfaces and electric field lines reveal that local fields guide proton delivery through multiple conserved solvent channels in heme peroxidases, enabling efficient access to ....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
September 22, 2025 at 3:40 PM
How do protons get delivered to the active site of heme peroxidases? A combination of solvent channels and electric fields, say @petermoody.bsky.social
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Reposted by Jonathan Worrall
Recent paper showing the power of combining advanced structural biology with QM/MM simulations to understand a heme enzyme. Work between Diamond, STFC, Bristol and Essex. We present evidence for the presence of an unusual protein to heme cross-link.
pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...
pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...
pubs.rsc.org
August 22, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Recent paper showing the power of combining advanced structural biology with QM/MM simulations to understand a heme enzyme. Work between Diamond, STFC, Bristol and Essex. We present evidence for the presence of an unusual protein to heme cross-link.
pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...
pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...
Reposted by Jonathan Worrall
New paper describing use of photocaged nitric oxide for time resolved crystallography within fixed targets at XFEL and synchrotron - PhD work of Pete Smyth & Lewis Williams - great collaboration with @jarworrall.bsky.social, beamline I24 and SACLA. Funded by BBSRC
journals.iucr.org/m/issues/202...
journals.iucr.org/m/issues/202...
Time-resolved serial synchrotron and serial femtosecond crystallography of heme proteins using photocaged nitric oxide
We demonstrate the application of a nitric oxide releasing photocage system for time-resolved serial crystallography studies of two heme containing proteins using a fixed target sample delivery system...
journals.iucr.org
August 22, 2025 at 12:52 PM
New paper describing use of photocaged nitric oxide for time resolved crystallography within fixed targets at XFEL and synchrotron - PhD work of Pete Smyth & Lewis Williams - great collaboration with @jarworrall.bsky.social, beamline I24 and SACLA. Funded by BBSRC
journals.iucr.org/m/issues/202...
journals.iucr.org/m/issues/202...
Reposted by Jonathan Worrall
For those on #chemsky interested in metal binding peptides and enzyme mimics, check out our latest paper doi.org/10.1002/anie.... A huge thanks to all co-authors, in particular the amazing Enrico Falcone!
doi.org
August 18, 2025 at 4:57 PM
For those on #chemsky interested in metal binding peptides and enzyme mimics, check out our latest paper doi.org/10.1002/anie.... A huge thanks to all co-authors, in particular the amazing Enrico Falcone!
Reposted by Jonathan Worrall
Exploring the 'jigglings and wigglings' that help explain what proteins are really up to – and it's anything but static.
Serial femtosecond crystallography reveals protein dynamics in real time
Proteins are constantly moving, but our structures of them are static. Clare Sansom talks to the researchers using free-electron lasers to make time-resolved structures
www.chemistryworld.com
July 26, 2025 at 8:00 AM
Exploring the 'jigglings and wigglings' that help explain what proteins are really up to – and it's anything but static.
Reposted by Jonathan Worrall
We are delighted to confirm that the and Other Redox Metalloenzymes will take place from 26-30 July 2026 at the University of Leicester, UK.
Details of the conference, including regularly updated confirmed speakers, are available on our website (link in bio).
Details of the conference, including regularly updated confirmed speakers, are available on our website (link in bio).
July 23, 2025 at 1:50 PM
We are delighted to confirm that the and Other Redox Metalloenzymes will take place from 26-30 July 2026 at the University of Leicester, UK.
Details of the conference, including regularly updated confirmed speakers, are available on our website (link in bio).
Details of the conference, including regularly updated confirmed speakers, are available on our website (link in bio).
Reposted by Jonathan Worrall
Genetically modified E coli used to create painkillers from material produced from plastic bottles
www.theguardian.com/...
www.theguardian.com/...
Scientists use bacteria to turn plastic waste into paracetamol
Genetically modified E coli used to create painkillers from material produced from plastic bottles
www.theguardian.com
July 7, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Genetically modified E coli used to create painkillers from material produced from plastic bottles
www.theguardian.com/...
www.theguardian.com/...
Reposted by Jonathan Worrall
Thrilled to have this work published! Thanks to some awesome teamwork, we've demonstrated improvements in multi-crystal data clustering by automatically separating 🐮🐷🧑🔬 #multicrystal #clustering #crystallography doi.org/10.1107/S205...
Enhanced intensity-based clustering of isomorphous multi-crystal data sets in the presence of subtle variations
Bovine, porcine and human insulin data sets are isomorphous in terms of unit cell and symmetry. Through enhancements to the multi-crystal clustering methods in DIALS, species-pure data sets are automa...
doi.org
May 30, 2025 at 10:26 AM
Thrilled to have this work published! Thanks to some awesome teamwork, we've demonstrated improvements in multi-crystal data clustering by automatically separating 🐮🐷🧑🔬 #multicrystal #clustering #crystallography doi.org/10.1107/S205...
Reposted by Jonathan Worrall
Out now in @chemicalscience.rsc.org:
We apply 2DIR spectroscopy to study [FeFe] hydrogenase for the first time. Check it out!
pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...
We apply 2DIR spectroscopy to study [FeFe] hydrogenase for the first time. Check it out!
pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...
Two-dimensional Infrared Spectroscopy as a Tool to Reveal the Vibrational and Molecular Structure of [FeFe] Hydrogenases
[FeFe] hydrogenases are Nature’s most efficient catalysts for the cleavage and evolution of molecular hydrogen. Despite decades of research, key aspects of the catalytic cycle and the underlying geome...
pubs.rsc.org
May 10, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Out now in @chemicalscience.rsc.org:
We apply 2DIR spectroscopy to study [FeFe] hydrogenase for the first time. Check it out!
pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...
We apply 2DIR spectroscopy to study [FeFe] hydrogenase for the first time. Check it out!
pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...
Reposted by Jonathan Worrall
Every year I co-organise a popular protein engineering workshop with @Biochemsoc.bsky.social - this year we will be in Birmingham 18-19 Nov. Booking hasn't opened yet but interest can be registered here. We had a wonderful group last year-join us! www.biochemistry.org/events-and-t...
Engineering Recombinant Proteins for Structural and Functional Studies 2025
This training event will explore strategies for producing high-quality, pure, and homogenous recombinant proteins - essential for both structural and functional studies. Aimed at early career research...
www.biochemistry.org
April 29, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Every year I co-organise a popular protein engineering workshop with @Biochemsoc.bsky.social - this year we will be in Birmingham 18-19 Nov. Booking hasn't opened yet but interest can be registered here. We had a wonderful group last year-join us! www.biochemistry.org/events-and-t...
Reposted by Jonathan Worrall
Our new paper exploring the effect of XFEL pulse length and pulse intensity on electron density maps of two radiation sensitive proteins. A great collaboration between Diamond, SwissFEL and University of Essex's Worrall group.
journals.iucr.org/m/issues/202...
journals.iucr.org/m/issues/202...
Damage before destruction? X-ray-induced changes in single-pulse serial femtosecond crystallography
Varied pulse-duration and pulse-intensity serial femtosecond crystallography data do not show significant signs of radiation damage under typical experimental conditions.
journals.iucr.org
April 15, 2025 at 12:19 PM
Our new paper exploring the effect of XFEL pulse length and pulse intensity on electron density maps of two radiation sensitive proteins. A great collaboration between Diamond, SwissFEL and University of Essex's Worrall group.
journals.iucr.org/m/issues/202...
journals.iucr.org/m/issues/202...
Reposted by Jonathan Worrall
Participants in the annual serial crystallography workshop for graduates student some funded by our @wellcometrust.bsky.social PhD program have got homework to do in the evening time …. @diamondlightsource.bsky.social @instruct-eric.bsky.social
April 4, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Participants in the annual serial crystallography workshop for graduates student some funded by our @wellcometrust.bsky.social PhD program have got homework to do in the evening time …. @diamondlightsource.bsky.social @instruct-eric.bsky.social
Reposted by Jonathan Worrall
Big day today! Excited to share our new publication in @chemcomm.rsc.org about the formation of the very important hydride state in [FeFe] hydrogenases! Enjoy the reading! ☺️ pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...
pubs.rsc.org
March 24, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Big day today! Excited to share our new publication in @chemcomm.rsc.org about the formation of the very important hydride state in [FeFe] hydrogenases! Enjoy the reading! ☺️ pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...
Reposted by Jonathan Worrall
Redox control of antibiotic biosynthesis in Streptomyces.
Remarkable work led by @katienoble241.bsky.social and Rebecca Devine demonstrates why antibiotic biosynthesis is often switched on in solid cultures and off in liquid.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Remarkable work led by @katienoble241.bsky.social and Rebecca Devine demonstrates why antibiotic biosynthesis is often switched on in solid cultures and off in liquid.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Redox control of antibiotic biosynthesis
Streptomyces bacteria make diverse specialised metabolites that form the basis of ~55% of clinically used antibiotics. Despite this, only 3% of their encoded specialised metabolites have been matched ...
www.biorxiv.org
March 10, 2025 at 8:39 PM
Redox control of antibiotic biosynthesis in Streptomyces.
Remarkable work led by @katienoble241.bsky.social and Rebecca Devine demonstrates why antibiotic biosynthesis is often switched on in solid cultures and off in liquid.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Remarkable work led by @katienoble241.bsky.social and Rebecca Devine demonstrates why antibiotic biosynthesis is often switched on in solid cultures and off in liquid.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Jonathan Worrall
Important paper. This could be the missing link that mediates the effects of nitric oxide gas on sporulation and antibiotic production in Streptomyces species.
Heme dependent activity of the Streptomyces c-di-GMP-metabolizing enzyme CdgA
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Heme dependent activity of the Streptomyces c-di-GMP-metabolizing enzyme CdgA
Streptomyces species are vital for producing natural products like antibiotics, with c-di-GMP playing a key role in regulating processes such as diffe…
www.sciencedirect.com
March 2, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Important paper. This could be the missing link that mediates the effects of nitric oxide gas on sporulation and antibiotic production in Streptomyces species.
A winters morning at SACLA ❄️
February 18, 2025 at 8:27 AM
A winters morning at SACLA ❄️