Christa Brown is a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Thomas Perkins at JILA, University of Colorado Boulder, USA. She is using AFM-based single-molecule force spectroscopy to investigate the energetics of protein folding and unfolding. Utilising a site-specific, adhesin-ligand based attachment scheme, the AFM cantilever binds to the target protein, allowing the protein molecule to be stretched and thereby unfolded and refolded. Focused-ion-beam (FIB) modified cantilevers provide enhanced force stability and precision coupled with improved time resolution, enabling a significantly more detailed observations than achievable with standard, unmodified cantilevers.
Christa Brown
Biography: Christa did her PhD in Lorna Dougan's lab at the Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Leeds, UK where her research focussed on investigating folded protein hydrogels as a smart biomaterial, by embedding ultrasound responsive microbubbles. She then moved the lab of Thomas Perkins at JILA, University of Colorado Boulder, USA as a postdoctoral researcher.
Twitter: @Christa_pb
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christa-brown-380ba31a9/
Webpage: https://jila.colorado.edu/perkins/people/lab-members
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