The Mulhern group study the structure and function of proteins, in particular kinases and phosphatases, which are the enzymes that catalyze the attachment and removal of phosphate groups.  Phosphorylation acts to switch on and off a variety of cellular responses including: motility, proliferation and programmed cell death. The group investigate the mechanisms behind the loss of control of these enzymes in HIV AIDS, cancer and Parkinson's disease.  In addition, they study the structure of the molecular machine that imports proteins and mitochondria. This machine is termed the Translocase of the Outer Membrane (TOM) complex. The formation of the TOM complex was a pivotal point in the development of eukaryotic organisms and provides a paradigm for the evolution of complicated molecular machines, generally.

The groups research employs a multidisciplinary approach that includes biophysics, biochemistry, and molecular and cellular biology.

Techniques include: nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, circular dichroism, surface plasmon resonance, small-angle scattering of X-rays and neutrons and X-ray crystallography.

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Terry Mulhern Bio

After undergraduate training in Chemistry and Physics at the University of Queensland, Terry Mulhern undertook a PhD in structural biology, split between the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane and the Biomolecular Research Institute in Melbourne.  This was followed by Postdoctoral appointments at the Oxford Centre for Molecular Sciences at the University of Oxford (UK) and the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Adelaide.  He came to the University of Melbourne in 1999 as the Russell Grimwade Research Fellow in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and in 2004 was appointed as a Senior Lecturer. 

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Mulhern Research Group

 Research Staff

• Natalie Gunn (Postgrad)
• Sevgi Irtegun (Postgrad)
• Alex Rey (Postgrad)
• Natalie Kurganovs (Honours)
• Jiaul Islam (Honours)

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