Office: CAP 2.52 Email: j.butt@uea.ac.uk Tel: +44 (0) 1603-593877 School Positions: Professor of Biophysical Chemistry, Deputy Head of Chemistry, and Associate Dean of Post-Graduate Research (SCI).

Our inter-disciplinary research centres on the use of electrochemical methods to characterise redox-active metalloproteins. In essence we interface proteins of interest with electrodes, ‘excite’ them through the application of a defined potential, and interpret the resulting flow of electrical current in terms of the protein’s intrinsic functionality. On-going projects include studies of multi-heme cytochromes that participate in respiratory nitrite ammonification and porin:cytochrome complexes that support extracellular mineral respiration by Shewanella species. One outcome of these projects has been a desire to enhance the resolving power of protein voltammetry. With this aim we are integrating voltammetry with magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopy and developing methods to study quinol-dehydrogenases in electrode supported bilayers. 

Biography

Julea joined UEA as a Wellcome Trust Career Development Fellow and was subsequently appointed a faculty member in the School of Chemistry and the School of Biological Sciences. Prior to working at UEA, she pursued Post-Doctoral Research at the National Institutes of Health, USA and Wageningen Agricultural University, NL. In 2002 Julea was honoured with the British Biophysical Society Young Investigator Medal for her application of novel voltammetric methods to the study of redox proteins. She was appointed Professor of Biophysical Chemistry in 2010.

Selected Publications

The roles of CymA in support of the respiratory flexibility of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1
Marritt SJ, McMillan DGG, Shi L, Fredrickson JK, Zachara JM, Richardson DJ, Jeuken LJC and Butt JN
Biochem. Soc. Trans. 2012 40, (1217–1221)
DOI:10.1042/BST20120150

A Functional Description of CymA that is the Hub for Anaerobic Respiratory Flexibility in Shewanella
Marritt SJ, Lowe TG, Bye J, McMillan DGG, Shi L, Fredrickson J, Zacchara J, Richardson DJ, Cheesman MR, Jeuken LJC, Butt JN
Biochem. J. 2012 444 465-474
DOI:10.1042/BJ20120197

Menaquinone-7 is a specific co-factor in the tetraheme quinol dehydrogenase CymA
McMillan DGG, Marritt SJ, Butt JN, Jeuken LJC
J. Biol. Chem. 2012 287 14215-14225
DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M112.348813

Redox and Chemical Activities of the Hemes in the Sulfur Oxidation Pathway Enzyme SoxAX.
Bradley JN, Marritt SJ, Kihlken MA, Haynes K, Hemmings AM, Berks BC, Cheesman MR, Butt JN
J. Biol. Chem. 2012 287: 40350-9
DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M112.396192

Probing a Complex of Cytochrome c and Cardiolipin by Magnetic Circular Dichroism Spectroscopy: Implications for the Initial Events in Apoptosis
Bradley JM, Silkstone G, Wilson MT, Cheesman MR, Butt JN
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2011 133, 19676-19679.
DOI: 10.1021/ja209144h