Membrane proteins are integral components of many biological processes in microalgae including photosynthesis, energy conversion, metabolite export, and bioproduct formation. These processes are key targets for Phycobloom to ensure we maximise the yield of oil produced by our algae, which can then be converted to cheap and sustainable biofuel. This drew members of the Phycobloom Molecular Biology and Metabolic Engineering teams to hop on the train up to Birmingham to brush up on their membrane protein biology and hear the latest advances in the field, directly from world leading experts!

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Day one of the conference kicked off with talks on the Solubilisation of Membrane Proteins – a critical step when studying their structure, function, and interactions, and a process which can be particularly challenging. Speakers from both industry and academia shared their expertise, ranging from tailored detergent compositions to the use of polymer surfactants that can act as detergent substitutes. Day one ended with a Lipid Nanoparticles practical led by Alice Rothnie and Alan Goddard from Aston University, where the Phycobloom team got to try our hand at purifying a His-tagged protein expressed in E. coli membranes using SMA lipid polymers (SMALPs). Adding SMA solubilises the membrane proteins whilst retaining their native lipid environment, which makes the protein more likely to retain its function. Samples were then left to bind nickel resins overnight, in preparation for nickel-affinity purification to select for specific-protein SMALPs.

An evening of networking drinks allowed the team to catch up with our fellow conference attendees and hear more detail about their membrane protein-based work, before the Phycobloom delegate headed into Birmingham city centre for a team dinner. 

The theme of day two was “Membrane Protein Structure”. The day began with a lecture from Bonnie Ann Wallace of Birkbeck University, a legend in the field of Circular Dichroism of Membrane Proteins. We also learnt about the extensive suite of online tools she has developed and brainstormed about potential applications for Phycobloom. We then continued with our Lipid Nanoparticle practical exercise, which involved washing and eluting our samples, before running them on a gel to visualise our protein of interest. The team were all pleased to see the correct band on the gel! The day of lectures finished with a talk on Mass Spectrometry of Membrane Proteins and a tour of the impressive Mass Spec facilities they have at Aston University. In the evening, the team had the pleasure to attend a conference dinner where we had the chance to speak with industry experts from Diamond Light Source, as well as academic researchers from universities across the UK. 

The conference concluded with a morning of lectures on the Biophysical and Functional Characterisation of Membrane Proteins, before the Phycobloom team headed back to London, tired but excited to implement what we have learnt back in the lab!