Dr Nick Robinson

Senior Lecturer in Microbiology and Biochemistry

Research Overview

The Robinson laboratory studies fundamental cellular processes that are responsible for the maintenance of chromosomal integrity and protein homeostasis. The dysregulation and mutation of these crucial pathways can result in a variety of pathological conditions including cancer, neurodegenerative and autoimmune diseases. The laboratory utilizes the experimental tractability of thermophilic archaeal species to investigate these essential processes. Although archaeal species are ancient microbes, components of the archaeal DNA repair and replication systems and protein degradation pathways display functional homology to their eukaryotic counterparts. Therefore, eukaryotic-like processes can be studied in these experimentally amenable organisms. Furthermore, the robust and stable archaeal protein homologues isolated from thermophilic species offer unparalleled benefits for the structural and biochemical study of these essential cellular pathways. By taking advantage of these streamlined archaeal systems, while employing a range of biochemical and structural approaches, the main aims of the laboratory are to further our understanding of the evolution and mechanistic action of the DNA replication-associated DNA repair events and also ubiquitin-like modifications and proteasomal degradation pathways.

Invited Speaker, Gordon Research Conference on Archaea: Archaeal Genomics for Understanding Origin of Eukaryotes and for Biotechnology Applications [Delegated to Dr Antonia Potter, PDRA], Les Diablerets, Switzerland
Invited talk

Invited Speaker, Gordon Research Conference on Archaea: Ecology, Metabolism and Molecular Biology -The Root and Branch of Discovery: Lessons on Life from the Archaea
Invited talk

Invited Speaker, EMBO Molecular Biology of Archaea, Frankfurt 2022
Invited talk

Invited Speaker, EMBO Molecular Biology of Archaea (MBoA8), Frankfurt
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience

Royal Society (External organisation)
Membership of committee

Discussion Leader at the Gordon Research Conference on Archaea: Ecology, Metabolism and Molecular Biology
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience

Frontiers in Microbiology: Biology of Archaea Section (Publisher)
Editorial activity

BMC (Publisher)
Editorial activity

Invited Speaker: EMBO Workshop on Molecular biology of archaea: From mechanisms to ecology, Vienna, Austria
Invited talk

Organizer XVth Annual UK Workshop on Archaea
Participation in workshop, seminar, course

Portland Press Ltd. (Publisher)
Editorial activity

18th Frankfurt Meeting on Genome Function and Gene Regulation in Archaea
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience

Co-Chair Gordon Research Conference - Archaea: Ecology, Metabolism & Molecular Biology
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience

Invited Speaker, Session Chair and Organizing Committee Member: Microbiology Society Focused Meeting 2016: Molecular Biology of Archaea 5
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience

  • Cancer Biology and Genome Stability
  • Microbes, Pathogens and Immunity