Senior Lecturer
- About
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- Email Address
- sam.miller@abdn.ac.uk
- Telephone Number
- +44 (0)1224 437484
- Office Address
Office 5.25, SMMSN, IMS building, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD
- School/Department
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition
Internal Memberships
Academic Lead Postgraduate Research (IMS)
Deputy Lead IMS Health and Safety Co-ordinator
- Research
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Research Overview
I am currently a senior lecturer in the Institute of Medical Sciences. I am a biochemist and molecular biologist working with bacteria in the Microbiology Programme of SMMSN. My research focusses on bacterial ion channels and transporters. These specialised membrane proteins help bacteria survive their environment. I investigate the molecular mechanisms of these proteins and how to use this knowledge to inhibit bacterial cell growth.
Research Areas
Accepting PhDs
I am currently accepting PhDs in Biomedical Sciences.
Please get in touch if you would like to discuss your research ideas further.
Research Specialisms
- Biotechnology
- Biochemistry
- Microbiology
- Bacteriology
Our research specialisms are based on the Higher Education Classification of Subjects (HECoS) which is HESA open data, published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
Collaborations
Prof. I. R. Booth (Aberdeen), Dr T.Rasmussen (Aberdeen), Dr A. Moura (Aberdeen), Prof. J. Naismith (St. Andrews), Prof. S. Conway (Oxford), Prof. B. Poolman (Groningen), Prof. Z. Ignatova (Pottsdam), Prof. C. Grebogi (Aberdeen), Prof. J. Banga (CSIC), Dr J. Yates (AstraZeneca), Dr. A. Valleriani (MPIKG), Prof. R. Bovenberg (DSM)
Funding and Grants
Marie Curie Initial Training Networks (ITN) Call: FP7-PEOPLE-2011-ITN (awarded 2011) ‘NICHE’ Network for Integrated Cellular Homeostasis. This grant brings together 8 partners from 6 academic institutions across Europe and 3 industrial partners to create a training network that will fund 11 PhD students and 2 Postdoctoral workers. My position on this proposal is Assistant Coordinator, also with responsibility for the training programme.
Medical Research Scotland Vacation Scholarship (awarded 03/2011) for Mr Vojtech Prazak (1st year undergraduate University of Aberdeen), funding for 8 weeks summer project 2011. Structure-Function studies of critical gating residues in mechanosensitive channels
Wellcome Trust Programme Grant Renewal (awarded 07/2010). Principal Applicant Prof. Ian Booth. Coapplicant (1) Prof. J.H. Naismith, (St. Andrews), Coapplicant (2) Dr S. Conway (Oxford), Coapplicant (3) Dr S. Miller, Coapplicant (4) Dr T. Rasmussen, Coapplicant (5) Dr M.D. Edwards.Molecular mechanisms of gating ion channels and transporters in bacterial homeostasis. 01.01.11-31.12.16
BBSRC Research Grant (awarded 06/10) Principal Investigator 01.07.10-30.06.15 Conformational states of membrane proteins: Technology development for bioscience
SFC (SULSA pool) Summer Studentship (with Morgiane Richard and A. Moura) for Aljosa Sarcevic from 31/05/10 for a 10 week project ‘Model of a Toxic metabolic Switch: Production of Methylglyoxal by Gram-Negative Bacteria’
BBSRC (SysMo Initiative). Awarded March 2007. Principal Investigator Professor I.R. Booth, Co-Investigators; Dr S.Miller, Professor C. Grebogi and Dr A. Moura (University of Aberdeen): 01.06.07-01.06.10 Ion and Solute Homeostasis in Enteric Bacteria (Kosmobac)
Wellcome Trust Programme Grant Renewal (awarded 2005). Principal Applicant Professor I.R. Booth, Coapplicant (1) Dr S. Miller, Coapplicant (2) Dr M.D. Edwards January 2006-December 2011. Gating of bacterial transporters and ion channels in cellular homeostasis
Royal society Conference Award 2005
MRC New Investigator Award (awarded 2004) July 2005-2008 Biogenesis and Structure-Function analysis of the MscS Mechanosensitive Channel in Escherichia coli.
- Teaching
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Teaching Responsibilities
Course Co-ordinator MC3504 Molecular Microbiology
- Publications
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Page 3 of 4 Results 21 to 30 of 39
Tryptophan in the pore of the mechanosensitive channel MscS: assessment of pore conformations by fluorescence spectroscopy
The Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 285, no. 8, pp. 5377-5384Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M109.071472
KTN (RCK) Domains Regulate K+ Channels and Transporters by Controlling the Dimer-Hinge Conformation
Structure, vol. 17, no. 6, pp. 893-903Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.str.2009.03.018
The structure of an open form of an E. coli mechanosensitive channel at 3.45 Å resolution
Science, vol. 321, no. 5893, pp. 1179-1183Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1159262
The role of tryptophan residues in the function and stability of the mechanosensitive channel MscS from Escherichia coli
Biochemistry, vol. 46, no. 38, pp. 10899-10908Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/BI701056K
Structure-function relations of MscS
Current Topics in Membranes: Mechanosensitive Ion Channels, Part A. Hamill, O. P. (ed.). Academic Press, pp. 269-294, 26 pagesChapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1063-5823(06)58010-X
Mechanosensitive channels in bacteria: signs of closure?
Nature Reviews Microbiology, vol. 5, no. 6, pp. 431-440Contributions to Journals: Literature Reviews- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro1659
The C-terminus of α2-antiplasmin interacts with endothelial cells
British Journal of Haematology, vol. 136, no. 3, pp. 472-479Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2141.2006.06452.x
Physiological analysis of bacterial mechanosensitive channels
Methods in Enzymology: Osmosensing and Osmosignaling. Häussinger, D., Sies, H. (eds.). Academic Press, pp. 47-61, 15 pagesChapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0076-6879(07)28003-6
Pivotal role of the glycine-rich TM3 helix in gating the MscS mechanosensitive channel
Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 113-119Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nsmb895
Gating the bacterial mechanosensitive channels: MscS a new paradigm?
Current Opinion in Microbiology, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 163-167Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mib.2004.02.006