Protein structural phylogenetics
Protein structure represents a rich and largely untapped resource for uncovering evolutionary relationships. Protein structural phylogenetics, an interdisciplinary branch of molecular evolution, leverages three-dimensional structural data to trace evolutionary histories and explore the diversity of protein structures and functions. Historically, the field has been constrained by the limited availability of high-resolution structural data. Recent breakthroughs in artificial intelligence have revolutionised the field by making protein structural data widely accessible. Structural alphabets offer a promising approach, building upon decades of progress in sequence and character-based phylogenetics. At the intersection of structural biology, biochemistry, evolutionary biology, and computational biology, structural phylogenetics requires collaborative efforts to further develop this exciting and promising field towards more translational evolutionary research.
Dr. Caroline Puente-Lelievre (School of Biological Sciences)
Dr. Jordan Douglas (School of Physics)
Professor Alexei Drummond (School of Biological Sciences)
Dr Nicholas J. Matzke (School of Biological Sciences)
Other collaborators
Dr. Ashar Malik (University of Queensland, Australia)