Martin Högbom

Research program:

1. Structural studies of integral membrane proteins

2. Structure and function of proteins involved in cell-barrier function in M. tuberculosis

Address:
E-mail: hogbom@dbb.su.se
Phone: (+46)-8-16 2110 
Fax: (+46)-8-153697

Research group

Postdoctoral fellows:              
Michael Tarry, Catrine Berthold Siöberg, Dan Sjöstrand, Daniel Martinez Molina

PhD Students:              
Charlotta Andersson, Karin Skaar, Ann-Louise Johansson

Previous members

Project description

1. Structural studies of integral membrane proteins

Membrane proteins are crucial to a remarkable number of cellular processes, including transport of small molecules and ions, energy transduction, interaction of cells with other cells or pathogens, signaling events and various enzymatic reactions. Membrane proteins make up about one third of all genes and are targets for the majority of drugs on the market. This is in sharp contrast to the available structural information, soluble protein structures outnumber membrane protein structures by ~ 100:1

Our goal is to increase the amount of high-resolution structural information available for membrane proteins of outstanding scientific and medical interest and to use this information in the design of further experiments to obtain an in-depth functional understanding.

2. Structure and function of proteins involved in cell-barrier function in M. tuberculosis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis, is one of the worst global killers with an estimated 2 billion people infected and 2 million yearly deaths.

The bacterium has a unique, very complex, and lipid rich cell envelope that protects it from various immune responses of the host. It also protects the bacterium from a great number of foreign substances and makes it naturally resistant to several antibiotics, making the disease very difficult to treat. The so-called “short-course” therapy implies treatment with several antibiotics for 6-9 months. There is also a rapid and very alarming development of multi drug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant strains.

We study proteins that are involved in producing vital components of the protective layer around the bacterium, proteins that may serve as new drug target candidates in M. tuberculosis.

Acknowledgments

Our research is supported by grants from the Swedish Research Council, the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research, the Carl Trygger Foundation, the Wenner-Gren foundations, the Swedish Cancer Society and the Knut and Alice Wallenberg foundation.

List of publications via PubMed