معرفی
Professor Joel Mackay is a physical biochemist at the University of Sydney, where he holds the Chair of the Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology cluster in the School of Life and Environmental Sciences and serves as President of the Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Since arriving in 1995 he has built an internationally recognised laboratory focused on protein structure–function, gene regulation and designer peptide engineering, supported by ~$30 M of competitive funding.
Education:
- PhD — University of Cambridge, UK (1994)
Research interests:
The Mackay group deciphers how proteins work at the molecular level, concentrating on two synergistic themes:
- Molecular mechanisms that govern eukaryotic gene expression, with emphasis on transcription factors, chromatin remodelers (CHD4/NuRD), epigenetic modifications and zinc-finger domains.
- Exploitation of cutting-edge library-display technologies to create bespoke peptides and mini-proteins that modulate challenging therapeutic targets such as BET bromodomains.
Methodologically the lab integrates molecular biology, cell biology, biophysics and structural techniques (NMR, X-ray crystallography, SPR, AUC, MST, XL-MS) and has access to 600 & 800 MHz NMR, crystallisation, fermentation and proteomics facilities.
Major discoveries:
- First demonstration that zinc-finger domains can act as protein–protein interaction modules, overturning the dogma that they bind only nucleic acids.
- Elucidation of how acetylation of the transcription factor GATA1 recruits the epigenetic reader BRD3, providing early mechanistic insight into post-translational control of transcription factors.
- Structural and functional characterisation of AHSP, the long-sought chaperone for α-globin, illuminating molecular bases of β-thalassemia and sickle-cell disease.
Scientific honours:
- Biophysics Young Investigator Award 1997
- Roche Molecular Biochemicals Medal 2001
- Science Minister’s Prize for Life Sciences (under 35) 2002
- ANZMAG Young Investigator Medal 2002
- Gottschalk Medal (AAS) 2006
- Labgear Discovery Science Award 2016
- ARC & NHMRC Research Fellowships (1995-2019)
Leadership & grants:
Prof. Mackay has secured continuous national (ARC DP, Linkage, ITTC; NHMRC Project & Program) and international (NIH R01) funding totalling ~$30 M. He currently leads a 40-member academic cluster and mentors five doctoral researchers working on epigenetic inheritance, hemoglobinopathies, pollinator protection and chromatin dynamics.
Collaborations & infrastructure:
Active partnerships with groups in Germany, New Zealand, the USA and the UK leverage the University of Sydney’s flagship institutes—Sydney Institute of Agriculture, Centre for Drug Discovery Innovation and Sydney Nano—to translate fundamental protein discoveries into agricultural, medical and biotechnological applications.
