Richard Pickersgill

Prof Richard Pickersgill is a Professor of Structural Biology at Queen Mary University of London's School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences. He leads research in the Centre for Molecular Cell Biology, focusing on structural biology, protein assembly mechanisms, and microbial systems. His work integrates experimental and computational methods to study bacterial microcompartments, type II secretion systems, and enzyme structures.

Research interests include understanding protein self-assembly, bacterial metabolic pathways, and the structural basis of enzyme function. Notable projects investigate the architecture of bacterial microcompartments and their roles in encapsulating enzymes, as well as the assembly processes of secretion systems critical for bacterial pathogenesis.

Prof Pickersgill has secured significant funding, including grants from the BBSRC and MRC, for projects like 'Structure of the assembly platform of the type II secretion system' and 'Vitamin scavenging in the gut.' He supervises PhD students, such as Minoosadat Tayebinia, and collaborates with researchers in structural biology and microbiology.

Key achievements include publications on enzyme-cargo encapsulation, bacterial secretion systems, and structural studies of proteins involved in vitamin B12 biosynthesis. His research bridges fundamental biology with biotechnological applications, such as engineering protein assemblies for industrial use.