Ben Luisi

Ben Luisi is a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Cambridge. His research focuses on the structural and molecular mechanisms underlying post-transcriptional gene regulation and bacterial transport systems. Key areas include RNA-protein interactions, riboregulation, and the structural analysis of multidrug efflux pumps in Gram-negative bacteria. Luisi's work combines X-ray crystallography, cryo-EM, and biochemical techniques to elucidate how these systems enable bacterial adaptation to environmental challenges and contribute to virulence and drug resistance.

• Research Themes:
• RNA regulation and gene silencing via Hfq/Crc complexes
• Structural biology of transport assemblies like AcrAB-TolC
• Mechanisms of ribonuclease activity and RNA degradation

Recent publications highlight advances in understanding the architecture of ribonucleoprotein complexes, allosteric transport pathways, and the interplay between RNA stability and bacterial stress responses. His group's structural insights have implications for antibiotic development and understanding bacterial pathogenesis.

Luisi leads the Luisi Group, which collaborates on projects such as analyzing mitochondrial tRNA maturation and transcriptome dynamics in bacterial systems. He is affiliated with the Sanger Building at the University of Cambridge and actively mentors researchers in structural and molecular biology.