Bertram Daum

My lab employs state-of-the-art single particle electron cryo-microscopy and cryo-tomography to investigate the structure and function of archaeal surface proteins. These include S-layers, which form highly stable cage-like proteinaceous cell walls and the archaellum, a filamentous molecular machine used for rotary propulsion, surface adherence, biofilm formation and cell-cell communication. Our work will provide detailed information about how archaea move through and interact with their environment and inform new approaches to exploit s-layers and the archaellum machinery in nanotechnology and drug delivery.