Dr. Ailie Marx

Dr. Ailie Marx
Research Group Leader
PhD

Lab Website

We are using computational tools, molecular dynamics, and experimental structural biology to explore how very local protein structure is formed. We are investigating how segments of the protein chain can adopt alternate local conformations, how cellular translation shape that process and the implications for protein function.

We are currently investigating the following specific research directions:
(a) We have developed an “amino-domino” model that uses amino acid pairs to model local sub-secondary structure and are now characterising the effect of adjacent amino acids on point mutations.
(b) We are looking at flexible protein sequences to develop models for very local protein structure that could be used to understand the behaviour of intrinsically disordered proteins.
(c) Using molecular dynamics we have identified intrinsically stable dual protein conformations. We are now using X-ray crystallography to follow the distribution of conformations under different expression and folding conditions. We are also using CryEM to image the nascent chains in the ribosome exit tunnel, probing for either uni or bimodal distributions of conformations.

Website ailiemarx.com

 

CV

Academic positions 
from 2023 Principal Investigator Migal – Galilee Research Institute
from 2024 Senior Lecturer Tel-Hai College
2020 – 2023 Researcher Bronstein Group, Department of Computer Science,Technion, Israel

2016 - 2020 Writing Consultant Research Authority, Technion, Israel.
2015 – 2016 Researcher Kaplan Group, Faculty of Biology, Technion, Israel

2011 – 2015 Postdoctoral Fellow Alian Group, Faculty of Biology, Technion, Israel
2002 Research Chemist Australian Therapeutic Goods Association Education 
2011 Ph.D. Faculty of Chemistry, Technion, Israel (Mentor: Noam Adir)
2008 M.A. Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of Haifa, Israel

2006 M.Sc. Faculty of Chemistry, Technion, Israel (Mentor: Noam Adir)
2003 B.Sc. Australian National University, Australia


Scientific Publications 
For a complete list of publications please see Dr. Marxs' Google Scholar page (https://scholar.google.co.il/citations?user=yTtz1QoAAAAJ&hl=en)

Awards and Honors 
2013 Best Presentation - Israeli Crystallography Association Meeting
2013 Most Outstanding Oral Presentation – Faculty of Biology Annual Retreat
2011 Klartag Prize for excellence in Biochemistry

Awarded once per year for outstanding graduate work in biochemistry

2009 Invited participant of the 59th Lindau Nobel Meeting

Reviewer as part of the alumni network
2008 Shulich Prize for Excellence in Teaching, Technion
I consistently obtain a top 10% score in teaching

Scientific Publications

Investigating the Effect of Crystallization Conditions on the Validity of Phycocyanin Structural Details

Ailie McGregor, Liron David, Noam Adir
Photosynthesis. Energy from the Sun: 14th International Congress on Photosynthesis
2008

Allophycocyanin Trimer Stability and Functionality Are Primarily Due to Polar Enhanced Hydrophobicity of the Phycocyanobilin Binding Pocket

Ailie McGregor, Merav Klartag, Liron David, Noam Adir
Academic Press
2008

Structural aspects of the assembly and disassembly of the Phycobilisome

N Adir, M Dines, L David, M Klartag, A McGregor, M Melamed-Frank, E Sendersky, R Schwarz
PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH
2007

Exploring the structure of an antennae protein-High resolution crystal structures of phycocyanin

A McGregor, L David, N Adir
PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH
2007

Crystallization and Structure Determination of Phycobilisome Components

Ailie McGregor
Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Faculty of Chemistry
2007

Assembly and disassembly of phycobilisomes

Noam Adir, Monica Dines, Merav Klartag, Ailie McGregor, Meira Melamed-Frank
Complex intracellular structures in prokaryotes
2006