Lee Byrne

I joined CCCU in 2012 and am the course director for the Chemistry Suite of Courses.

I joined Canterbury Christ Church University in 20212 following a Senior Lectureship position at the University of Worcester.

My research interests stem from a passion about understanding how proteins work at the molecular level and how their three-dimensional structures can affect their cellular functions. During my career, I have studied proteins involved in cancer biology, disulphide bond formation and the processes involved in prion formation and maintenance in yeast.

After obtaining my PhD from the University of Kent, where I characterised several protein folding catalysts involved in disulphide bond formation in yeast, I undertook a post-doctoral fellowship at St Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis Tennessee, investigating the action of anticancer drugs on DNA replication.

I then returned to the University of Kent as a postdoctoral researcher and research fellow in mathematical biology, investigating prion propagation in budding yeast. A further postdoctoral position allowed me to learn new skills in biological NMR spectroscopy and structural biology, investigating the dynamic motions inherent within the protein folding catalyst, protein disulphide isomerase.

Following this, I began my teaching career by accepting a lectureship position at the University of Worcester before moving to Canterbury Christ Church University in 2012, where my current research interests and research collaborations reflect my love of proteins, their structure and role in disease.

Chemistry suite of programmes

Course director

B.Sc. (Hons) Biochemistry and Biological Chemistry
B.Sc. (Hons) Chemistry for Drug Discovery degrees

Course Advocate

B.Sc. (Hons) Biochemistry and Genetics degree

I currently teach modules involving chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology and bioinformatics at all levels from foundation to final year.

I have also taught biochemistry on the Bachelor of Medicine/ Bachelor of Surgery programme for Kent and Medway Medical School.

My current research areas include:

1) Epigenetics and Prion Biology within the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model system. Research here includes the metabolomic consequences of prions for the cell and the role of exosomes in prion biology.

2) Cancer Biology. Exploring nanoparticles as novel drug delivery systems.

3) Molecular dynamics of HIV1 protease. Modelling the structure and protein interactions of this important enzyme in virus maturation.

4) Identification and screening of animal venoms for use as antimicrobial agents.

Research Projects

"Conformational Dynamics of the HIV-1 Protease and Gag-Pol Polyprotein structures in silico". Researcher(s): Mr Daniel Carey. Supervisor(s): Dr Lee Byrne, Dr Kristofer Leslie, Dr Marieke Bloemink. [Postgraduate Research Project]
Doctoral Research Project. Researcher(s): Mr Chris Woodman. Supervisor(s): Dr Cornelia Wilson, Dr Lee Byrne. [Postgraduate Research Project (past)]
Doctoral Research Project. Researcher(s): Miss Summer Tredgett. Supervisor(s): Dr Carol Trim, Dr Lee Byrne. [Postgraduate Research Project (past)]
Doctoral Research Project. Researcher(s): Dr Tyler Howell-Bray. Supervisor(s): Dr Lee Byrne, Professor Simon Harvey. [Postgraduate Research Project (past)]
IDENTIFICATION AND ANALYSIS OF VIRUSES ISOLATED FROM NERINE. Researcher(s): Dr Naomi Beddoe. Supervisor(s): Dr Alec Forsyth, Dr Lee Byrne. [Postgraduate Research Project]
Investigating sortilin variants (SORT1A and SORT1B) and their interactions with tyrosine kinase receptors, EGFR and TrKB; determining their role in oncogenesis and tumorigenesis.. Researcher(s): Mr Aidan Curtis. Supervisor(s): Dr Cornelia Wilson, Dr Lee Byrne. [Postgraduate Research Project]
Natural Variation in Neurodegeneration and Sarcopenia in C. elegans.. Researcher(s): Miss Sehrish Khan. Supervisor(s): Dr Jana Stastna, Dr Marieke Bloemink, Dr Lee Byrne. [Postgraduate Research Project]
Preliminary Investigations in the Potential Use of Dye-Ligands to Bind Biological Macromolecules. Researcher(s): Miss Stef Aprotosoaei. Supervisor(s): Dr Cornelia Wilson, Dr Lee Byrne. [Postgraduate Research Project]
Structural investigation of HIV-1 GP160 and gag-pol polyprotein recognition site with HIV-1 protease.. Researcher(s): Mr Sean Sollis. Supervisor(s): Dr Kristofer Leslie, Dr Lee Byrne. [Postgraduate Research Project]
The topic of this research is to investigate the role of different miRNAs expressed in Huntington’s disease, if anti-prion drugs alleviate HTT aggregation and to compare how Q74 and Q23 effects cell function.. Researcher(s): Mr Peter Quarrington. Supervisor(s): Dr Cornelia Wilson, Dr Lee Byrne. [Postgraduate Research Project]