Professor Vassiliy Bavro
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Email
v.bavro@essex.ac.uk -
Location
3SW.5.19, Colchester Campus
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Academic support hours
Director MSc Molecular Medicine - BS 5.19 - Tuesday 14:00 -15:00
Profile
Biography
Structural biologist with interests in membrane protein crystallography and integrative structural biology approaches, including structural mass-spectrometry. Research areas cover bacterial transporters involved in antibiotic resistance and ion channels. Protein structure-function relationships and involvement in disease.
Qualifications
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PhD (supervisor Prof. Winfried Weissenhorn) European Molecular Biology Laboratory, (2003)
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MSc Biochemistry and Microbiology (supervisor Prof.Shawn Doonan) University of East London, (1996)
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MSc Biochemistry and Microbiology Sofia University, (1996)
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BSc Molecular Microbiology Sofia University, (1994)
Appointments
糖心Vlog
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Professor of Structural Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, 糖心Vlog (1/10/2021 - present)
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Reader in Membrane Protein Science, Biological Sciences, 糖心Vlog (1/5/2016 - 30/9/2021)
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Convenor Protein Structure and Function Group (PSFG), Biological Sciences, 糖心Vlog (1/8/2017 - 1/9/2021)
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Director MSc Molecular Medicine, Biological Sciences, 糖心Vlog (1/8/2017 - present)
Other academic
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Director Postgraduate Taught (PGT), School of Life Sciences, 糖心Vlog (1/8/2022 - present)
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Professor of Structural Microbiology and Membrane Protein Science, School of Life Sciences, 糖心Vlog (1/10/2021 - present)
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Reader in Membrane Protein Science, Biological Sciences, 糖心Vlog (1/5/2016 - 30/9/2021)
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Director MSc Molecular Medicine, Biological Sciences, 糖心Vlog (1/8/2017 - 1/9/2021)
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Senior Visiting Research Fellow, School of Medicine, University of Birmingham (1/5/2016 - 1/5/2020)
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Birmingham Fellow, School of Medicine, University of Birmingham (1/2/2012 - 30/4/2016)
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PI in Structural Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Birmingham (1/2/2012 - 1/4/2016)
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Senior Post Doctoral Research Associate, Physics, University of Oxford (1/1/2008 - 1/1/2012)
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Marie Curie Post Doctoral Research Fellow, Biochemistry, University of Cambridge (1/1/2005 - 1/1/2007)
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Post-Doctoral Research Associate, Biochemistry, University of Cambridge (12/10/2003 - 1/1/2005)
Research and professional activities
Research interests
Membrane protein crystallography
Antimicrobial Resistance
Our group is interested in the molecular mechanisms of multidrug resistance provided by the tripartite efflux pumps in Gram-negative bacteria. We are seeking to understand the mechanistic aspects of the assembly and substrate recognition in these multicomponent molecular machines.
Integrative structural biology approaches
We use integrative structural biology approaches to study the molecular organisation of the Gram-negative bacterial cell surface and its interaction with the immune system.
Ion channels
Metal transport in bacteria
Antigen target selection and vaccine development
Our group is interested in identification and validation of antigen targets in bacterial pathogens for vaccine development
Conferences and presentations
Antibiotic Discovery Accelerator Network Meeting 2023
John Innes Centre Conference Centre, Norwich, Norwich, United Kingdom, 10/7/2024
Chairing the Gordon Research Conference Topic Debate
Invited presentation, GRC Efflux Pumps - 2023, Gordon Research Conference - Efflux Pumps, Galveston, United States, 27/3/2023
Structural and functional characterisation of the gating mechanism of the outer membrane factor MtrE from Neisseria gonorrhoeae
BacPath 2019, Bacpath15, Perth, Australia, 30/9/2019
Integrative structural biology of tripartite efflux-pumps and the cell envelope in Gram-negative bacteria
Invited presentation, Antibiotic Discovery Accelerator Network Inaugural Meeting, Antibiotic Discovery Accelerator Network (ABX), Eden Project, United Kingdom, 11/7/2019
Gordon Research Conference (GRC) Efflux pumps 2019
Conference, Gordon Research Conference (GRC) Efflux pumps 2019, Lucca, Italy, 29/4/2019
Biophysical Society Conference
Conference, BPS 62 Annual Meeting, San Francisco, United States, 18/2/2018
Immunological assessment of the nature of binding of protective antibodies to the Gram-negative envelope reveals a complex role of LPS O-chain in restricting protection from vaccination.
Invited presentation, Conference, BacPath 14 - Molecular Biology of Bacterial Pathogens 2017, Hahndorf, Australia, 27/9/2017
Teaching and supervision
Current teaching responsibilities
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Protein Bioinformatics (BS281)
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Principles of Molecular Virology (BS310)
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Biomembranes and Bioenergetics (BS332)
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Research Project in Life Sciences (BS832)
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Molecular Mechanisms of Disease (BS938)
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Protein Technologies and Proteomics (BS983)
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Research Project: MSc Molecular Medicine (BS986)
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Biomedical Science: Practice and Employability (BS214)
Publications
Publications (3)
Darby, EM., Bavro, VN., Dunn, S., McNally, A. and Blair, JMA., (2022). RND pumps across theAcinetobactergenus; AdeIJK is the ancestral efflux system
Alav, I., Bavro, VN. and Blair, JMA., (2021). Interchangeability of Periplasmic Adaptor Proteins AcrA and AcrE in forming functional efflux pumps with AcrD inSalmonellaTyphimurium
Bryant, JA., Morris, FC., Knowles, TJ., Maderbocus, R., Heinz, E., Boelter, G., Alodaini, D., Colyer, A., Wotherspoon, PJ., Staunton, KA., Jeeves, M., Browning, DF., Sevastsyanovich, YR., Wells, TJ., Rossiter, AE., Bavro, VN., Sridhar, P., Ward, DG., Chong, Z-S., Icke, C., Teo, A., Chng, S-S., Roper, DI., Lithgow, T., Cunningham, AF., Banzhaf, M., Overduin, M. and Henderson, IR., (2020). Structure-function analyses of dual-BON domain protein DolP identifies phospholipid binding as a new mechanism for protein localisation
Journal articles (47)
Moolla, N., Weaver, H., Bailo, R., Singh, A., Bavro, VN. and Bhatt, A., (2024). The role of ABC transporter DrrABC in the export of PDIM in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The Cell Surface. 12, 100132-100132
Darby, E., Bavro, V., Dunn, S., McNally, A. and Blair, J., (2023). . Microbial Genomics. 9 (3)
Trampari, E., Prischi, F., Vargiu, A., Abi-Assaf, J., Bavro, V. and Webber, M., (2023). . npj Antimicrobials and Resistance. 1 (1), 2-
Alav, I., Bavro, VN. and Blair, JMA., (2022). . Scientific Reports. 12 (1), 4752-
Trampari, E., Zhang, C., Gotts, K., Savva, G., Bavro, V. and Webber, M., (2022). . Microbiology Spectrum. 10 (3), e0214521-
Blair, JMA., Zeth, K., Bavro, VN. and Sancho-Vaello, E., (2022). . FEMS Microbiology Reviews. 46 (6), fuac032-fuac032
Souabni, H., dos Santos, WB., Cece, Q., Catoire, LJ., Puvanendran, D., Bavro, VN. and Picard, M., (2021). . Communications Biology. 4 (1), 493-
Alav, I., Kobylka, J., Kuth, MS., Pos, KM., Picard, M., Blair, JMA. and Bavro, VN., (2021). . Chemical Reviews. 121 (9), 5479-5596
Alav, I., Bavro, VN. and Blair, JMA., (2021). . Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. 76 (10), 2558-2564
Moolla, N., Bailo, R., Marshall, R., Bavro, VN. and Bhatt, A., (2021). . The Cell Surface. 7, 100062-100062
Javid, A., Cooper, C., Singh, A., Schindler, S., H盲nisch, M., Marshall, R., Kalscheuer, R., Bavro, VN. and Bhatt, A., (2020). . Molecular Microbiology. 113 (2), 521-533
Dom铆nguez-Medina, CC., P茅rez-Toledo, M., Schager, AE., Marshall, JL., Cook, CN., Bobat, S., Hwang, H., Chun, BJ., Logan, E., Bryant, JA., Channell, WM., Morris, FC., Jossi, SE., Alshayea, A., Rossiter, AE., Barrow, PA., Horsnell, WG., MacLennan, CA., Henderson, IR., Lakey, JH., Gumbart, JC., L贸pez-Mac铆as, C., Bavro, VN. and Cunningham, AF., (2020). . Nature Communications. 11 (1), 851-
Johnson, RM., Fais, C., Parmar, M., Cheruvara, H., Marshall, RL., Hesketh, SJ., Feasey, MC., Ruggerone, P., Vargiu, AV., Postis, VLG., Muench, SP. and Bavro, VN., (2020). . Microorganisms. 8 (6), 943-943
Marshall, RL. and Bavro, VN., (2020). . Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences. 7, 166-
Bryant, JA., Morris, FC., Knowles, TJ., Maderbocus, R., Heinz, E., Boelter, G., Alodaini, D., Colyer, A., Wotherspoon, PJ., Staunton, KA., Jeeves, M., Browning, DF., Sevastsyanovich, YR., Wells, TJ., Rossiter, AE., Bavro, VN., Sridhar, P., Ward, DG., Chong, Z-S., Goodall, ECA., Icke, C., Teo, A., Chng, S-S., Roper, DI., Lithgow, T., Cunningham, AF., Banzhaf, M., Overduin, M. and Henderson, IR., (2020). . eLife. 9, 1-61
Conn, GL., Bavro, VN. and Davies, C., (2019). . Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences. 6, 71-
McNeil, HE., Alav, I., Corona Torres, R., Rossiter, AE., Laycock, E., Legood, S., Kaur, I., Davies, M., Wand, M., Webber, MA., Bavro, VN. and Blair, JMA., (2019). . PLoS Pathogens. 15 (12), e1008101-e1008101
Straw, ML., Chaplin, AK., Hough, MA., Paps, J., Bavro, VN., Wilson, MT., Vijgenboom, E. and Worrall, JAR., (2018). . Metallomics: integrated biometal science. 2018 (10), 180-193
Lu, W-J., Lin, H-J., Janganan, TK., Li, C-Y., Chin, W-C., Bavro, VN. and Lin, H-TV., (2018). . International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 19 (4), 1000-1000
Abdullah, N., Kelly, JT., Graham, SC., Birch, J., Gon莽alves-Carneiro, D., Mitchell, T., Thompson, RN., Lythgoe, KA., Logan, N., Hosie, MJ., Bavro, VN., Willett, BJ., Heaton, MP. and Bailey, D., (2018). . Journal of Virology. 92 (23), e01248-e01218
Sen, H., Aggarwal, N., Ishionwu, C., Hussain, N., Parmar, C., Jamshad, M., Bavro, VN. and Lund, PA., (2017). . Journal of Bacteriology. 199 (18), e00310-e00317
Bavro, VN., Gupta, S. and Ralston, C., (2015). . Biochemical Society Transactions. 43 (5), 983-994
Browning, DF., Bavro, VN., Mason, JL., Sevastsyanovich, YR., Rossiter, AE., Jeeves, M., Wells, TJ., Knowles, TJ., Cunningham, AF., Donald, JW., Palmer, T., Overduin, M. and Henderson, IR., (2015). . Molecular Microbiology. 97 (4), 646-659
Zubcevic, L., Wang, S., Bavro, VN., Lee, S-J., Nichols, CG. and Tucker, SJ., (2015). . Scientific Reports. 5 (1), 15305-
Bernardes, A., Textor, LC., Santos, JC., Cuadrado, NH., Kostetsky, EY., Roig, MG., Bavro, VN., Muniz, JRC., Shnyrov, VL. and Polikarpov, I., (2015). . Biochimie. 111, 58-69
Blair, JMA., Bavro, VN., Ricci, V., Modi, N., Cacciotto, P., Kleinekath缨fer, U., Ruggerone, P., Vargiu, AV., Baylay, AJ., Smith, HE., Brandon, Y., Galloway, D. and Piddock, LJV., (2015). . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 112 (11), 3511-3516
Symmons, MF., Marshall, RL. and Bavro, VN., (2015). . Frontiers in Microbiology. 6 (MAY), 513-
Weeks, JW., Bavro, VN. and Misra, R., (2014). . Molecular Microbiology. 91 (5), 965-975
Zubcevic, L., Bavro, VN., Muniz, JRC., Schmidt, MR., Wang, S., De Zorzi, R., Venien-Bryan, C., Sansom, MSP., Nichols, CG. and Tucker, SJ., (2014). . The Journal of Biological Chemistry. 289 (1), 143-151
Janganan, TK., Bavro, VN., Zhang, L., Borges鈥怶almsley, MI. and Walmsley, AR., (2013). Tripartite efflux pumps: energy is required for dissociation, but not assembly or opening of the outer membrane channel of the pump. Molecular Microbiology. 88 (3), 590-602
Browning, DF., Matthews, SA., Rossiter, AE., Sevastsyanovich, YR., Jeeves, M., Mason, JL., Wells, TJ., Wardius, CA., Knowles, TJ., Cunningham, AF., Bavro, VN., Overduin, M. and Henderson, IR., (2013). . PLoS One. 8 (12), e84512-e84512
Bavro, VN., De Zorzi, R., Schmidt, MR., Muniz, JRC., Zubcevic, L., Sansom, MSP., V茅nien-Bryan, C. and Tucker, SJ., (2012). Structure of a KirBac potassium channel with an open bundle crossing indicates a mechanism of channel gating. Nature Structural & Molecular Biology. 19 (2), 158-163
Janganan, TK., Bavro, VN., Zhang, L., Matak-Vinkovic, D., Barrera, NP., Venien-Bryan, C., Robinson, CV., Borges-Walmsley, MI. and Walmsley, AR., (2011). . The Journal of Biological Chemistry. 286 (30), 26900-26912
Janganan, TK., Zhang, L., Bavro, VN., Matak-Vinkovic, D., Barrera, NP., Burton, MF., Steel, PG., Robinson, CV., Borges-Walmsley, MI. and Walmsley, AR., (2011). . The Journal of Biological Chemistry. 286 (7), 5484-5493
Wang, SC., Politis, A., Di Bartolo, N., Bavro, VN., Tucker, SJ., Booth, PJ., Barrera, NP. and Robinson, CV., (2010). Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry of Two Tetrameric Membrane Protein Complexes Reveals Compact Structures and Differences in Stability and Packing. Journal of the American Chemical Society. 132 (44), 15468-15470
Gupta, S., Bavro, VN., D'Mello, R., Tucker, SJ., V茅nien-Bryan, C. and Chance, MR., (2010). Conformational Changes During the Gating of a Potassium Channel Revealed by Structural Mass Spectrometry. Structure. 18 (7), 839-846
Paynter, JJ., Andres-Enguix, I., Fowler, PW., Tottey, S., Cheng, W., Enkvetchakul, D., Bavro, VN., Kusakabe, Y., Sansom, MSP., Robinson, NJ., Nichols, CG. and Tucker, SJ., (2010). . The Journal of Biological Chemistry. 285 (52), 40754-40761
Misra, R. and Bavro, VN., (2009). Assembly and transport mechanism of tripartite drug efflux systems. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Proteins and Proteomics. 1794 (5), 817-825
Barrera, NP., Isaacson, SC., Zhou, M., Bavro, VN., Welch, A., Schaedler, TA., Seeger, MA., Miguel, RN., Korkhov, VM., van Veen, HW., Venter, H., Walmsley, AR., Tate, CG. and Robinson, CV., (2009). Mass spectrometry of membrane transporters reveals subunit stoichiometry and interactions. Nature Methods. 6 (8), 585-587
Lin, HT., Bavro, VN., Barrera, NP., Frankish, HM., Velamakanni, S., van Veen, HW., Robinson, CV., Borges-Walmsley, MI. and Walmsley, AR., (2009). . The Journal of Biological Chemistry. 284 (2), 1145-1154
Bavro, VN., Pietras, Z., Furnham, N., P茅rez-Cano, L., Fern谩ndez-Recio, J., Pei, XY., Misra, R. and Luisi, B., (2008). Assembly and Channel Opening in a Bacterial Drug Efflux Machine. Molecular Cell. 30 (1), 114-121
Pietras, Z., Bavro, V., Furnham, N., Pellegrini-Calace, M., Milner-White, E. and Luisi, B., (2008). Structure and Mechanism of Drug Efflux Machinery in Gram Negative Bacteria. Current Drug Targets. 9 (9), 719-728
Worrall, JAR., G贸rna, M., Crump, NT., Phillips, LG., Tuck, AC., Price, AJ., Bavro, VN. and Luisi, BF., (2008). . Journal of Molecular Biology. 382 (4), 870-883
Mokrab, Y., Bavro, VN., Mizuguchi, K., Todorov, NP., Martin, IL., Dunn, SMJ., Chan, SL. and Chau, P-L., (2007). Exploring ligand recognition and ion flow in comparative models of the human GABA type A receptor. Journal of Molecular Graphics and Modelling. 26 (4), 760-774
Sola, M., Bavro, VN., Timmins, J., Franz, T., Ricard-Blum, S., Schoehn, G., Ruigrok, RWH., Paarmann, I., Saiyed, T., O'Sullivan, GA., Schmitt, B., Betz, H. and Weissenhorn, W., (2004). Structural basis of dynamic glycine receptor clustering by gephyrin. The EMBO Journal. 23 (13), 2510-2519
Fernandez-Recio, J., Walas, F., Federici, L., Venkatesh Pratap, J., Bavro, VN., Miguel, RN., Mizuguchi, K. and Luisi, B., (2004). A model of a transmembrane drug鈥恊fflux pump from Gram鈥恘egative bacteria. FEBS Letters. 578 (1-2), 5-9
Bavro, VN., Sola, M., Bracher, A., Kneussel, M., Betz, H. and Weissenhorn, W., (2002). Crystal structure of the GABAA鈥恟eceptor鈥恆ssociated protein, GABARAP. EMBO reports. 3 (2), 183-189
Book chapters (2)
Marshall, RL. and Bavro, VN., (2019). . In: Bacterial Resistance to Antibiotics From Molecules to Man. Editors: Bonev, B. and Brown, N., . John Wiley & Sons. 201- 237. 9781119940777
Zgurskaya, HI., Bavro, VN., Weeks, JW. and Krishnamoorthy, G., (2016). . In: Efflux-Mediated Antimicrobial Resistance in Bacteria. Editors: Li, X-Z., Elkins, C. and Zgurskaya, HI., . Springer. 99- 128. 978-3-319-39656-9
Conferences (5)
Gutishvili, G., Bavro, VN., Cunningham, AF. and Gumbart, JC., (2024). Antibody-LPS interactions in invasive non-typhoidal Salmonella infections: Coarse-grained simulations of outer membrane dynamics
Gutishvili, G., Bavro, VN., Cunningham, AF. and Gumbart, JC., (2023). Linking the outer membrane composition of salmonella to protective antibody responses
Grassi, F., Bavro, VN. and Kleinekath枚fer, U., (2016). What Keeps TolC Closed? Insights from Molecular Dynamics Simulations
Bavro, VN., De Zorzi, R., Schmidt, MR., Muniz, JRC., Zubcevic, L., Sansom, MSP., Venien-Bryan, C. and Tucker, SJ., (2012). Crystal Structure of a Prokaryotic Kir Channel in an Open Conformation
Gupta, S., D'Mello, R., Chance, MR., Bavro, VN., Venien-Bryan, C. and Tucker, SJ., (2010). Radiolytic Footprinting Reveals Conformational Changes During Potassium Channel Gating
Reports and Papers (2)
Bavro, V., Alav, I. and Blair, J., (2021).
Trampari, E., Holden, E., Wickham, G., Anuradha, R., Prischi, F., de Oliveira Martins, L., Savva, G., Bavro, VN. and Webber, M., (2019).
Grants and funding
2024
OptiVaNTS - Optimising Vaccination for iNTS disease in Africa
Wellcome Trust
2023
TRICSS - a multi-user high-throughput platform to quantify biological interactions in solution
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
TRICSS - a multi-user high-throughput platform to quantify biological interactions in solution
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
2020
Replacement EPR spectrometer to the multiuser Biomedical EPR Facility at the 糖心Vlog
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
2019
Protein Detection Kit
East Suffolk and North 糖心Vlog NHS Foundation Trust
Development of novel cancer treatments: structural studies of Nectin 4 in complex with bespoke anti-cancer peptides
Bicycle Therapeutics
2016
Mapping the interactions within multidrug efflux pump assemblies
Biotechnology & Biology Science Res.Council
Elucidating the interaction of antibiotics with multidrug efflux-pumps
Wellcome Trust
Contact
Academic support hours:
Director MSc Molecular Medicine - BS 5.19 - Tuesday 14:00 -15:00
