Dr Phil Biggin

Computational Studies of Receptors.

We are particularly interested in developing and applying computational methods including docking and molecular dynamics simulations to receptor proteins such as the ligand-gated ion channels.  These are receptors that upon binding of a ligand change their conformation such that ions can pass through a central pore and down their electrochemical gradient. We are particularly interested in two distinct families of these receptors: 1. The ionotropic glutamate receptors and 2. The nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. Although there has been a recent increase in the amount of structural information available, many questions still remain concerning the dynamics associated with these process.  An understanding of these processes should be useful in the design of new drug treatments for a range of diseases including Alzheimer's, Parkinsons's, and epilepsy. 

Potential undergraduate and graduate students might be interested in considering my college which is LMH

For further details see here: http://sbcb.bioch.ox.ac.uk/phil/morework.html

Selected Publications (full list from pubmed)

Mazzaferro, S., Benallegue, N., Carbine, A., Gasparri, F., Vijayan, R., Biggin P.C., Moroni, M.,Bermudez, I. (2011)
An additional ACh binding site at the {alpha}4/{alpha}4 interface of the ({alpha}4{beta}2)2{alpha}4 nicotinic receptor influences agonist sensitivity.
J. Biol. Chem. (abstract)

Whitfield T, Miles AJ, Scheinost JC, Offer J, Wentworth P Jr, Dwek RA, Wallace BA, Biggin PC, Zitzmann N. (2011)
The influence of different lipid environments on the structure and function of the hepatitis C virus p7 ion channel protein.
Mol Membr Biol. (abstract)

Sahai, M., and Biggin, P.C. (2011)
Quantifying water-mediated protein-ligand interactions in a glutamate receptor: A DFT study.
J. Phys. Chem. B (abstract)

Vohra S, Hall BA, Holdbrook DA, Khalid S, Biggin PC. (2010)
Bookshelf: a simple curation system for the storage of biomolecular simulation data.
Database (Oxford). (abstract)

Vijayan R, Sahai MA, Czajkowski T, Biggin PC. (2010)
A comparative analysis of the role of water in the binding pockets of ionotropic glutamate receptors.
Phys Chem Chem Phys. (abstract)

Iturriaga-Vásquez P, Carbone A, García-Beltrán O, Livingstone PD, Biggin PC, Cassels BK, Wonnacott S, Zapata-Torres G, Bermudez I. (2010)
Molecular determinants for competitive inhibition of alpha4beta2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.
Mol Pharmacol (abstract)

Münz M, Lyngsø R, Hein J, Biggin PC. 2010
Dynamics based alignment of proteins: an alternative approach to quantify dynamic similarity.
BMC Bioinformatics (abstract)

Vijayan R and Biggin P.C. (2010)
Conformational preferences of a 14-residue fibrillogenic peptide from acetylcholinesterase.
Biochemistry online (abstract)

Luik P., Chew C., Aittoniemi J., Chang J., Wentworth P. Jr., Dwek R.A., Biggin P.C., Venien-Bryan C. and Zitzmann N. (2009)
The 3-dimensional structure of a hepatitis C virus p7 ion channel by electron microscopy.
Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. online (abstract)

Vijayan R, Plested AJ, Mayer ML, Biggin PC. (2009)
Selectivity and cooperativity of modulatory ions in a neurotransmitter receptor.
Biophys J.96 1751-1760

Chew CF, Vijayan R, Chang J, Zitzmann N, Biggin PC. (2009)
Determination of pore-lining residues in the hepatitis C virus p7 protein.
Biophys J 96 L10-L12.

Chew CF, Guy A, Biggin PC. (2009)
Distribution and dynamics of adamantanes in a lipid bilayer.
Biophys J 95 5627-5636