Luke Smithers

Luke Smithers is a Lecturer at the School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia. His research focuses on structural biology, membrane proteins, and enzyme mechanisms, with a particular emphasis on drug design and antibiotic targets.

Education: PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (2020) and BSc(Hons) in Biomedical Science (2015), both from UWA. Postdoctoral experience includes Trinity College Dublin (2020–2022) and drug design research in Perth (2022–present).

Research interests include structural characterization of bacterial membrane proteins, enzymology of lipoprotein processing, and plant mitochondrial RNA import mechanisms. Key techniques involve X-ray crystallography, biophysical analysis, and lipid cubic phase crystallization.

Recent publications highlight advancements in membrane protein crystallization methods (MAG lipid system) and mechanistic studies of bacterial N-acyltransferases. His work contributes to Sustainable Development Goals related to health and innovation.

• Awards: Government of Ireland Fellowship (2021), Australian Postgraduate Award (2016)
• Grants: Co-PI on NHMRC-funded projects for protein production infrastructure and chromatography systems
• Collaborations: International teams in crystallography and enzymology

Labs/Teams: Involved in structural biology and protein production facilities at UWA, collaborating with investigators across disciplines.