Staff profile

I am a PhD student in the department of Biosciences at Durham University. My research is focussed on the copper-dependent nitrite reductase, AniA, which is a metalloenzyme found in pathogenic bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Specifically, I am looking at the assembly of the enzyme and the insertion of copper, with a view to inhibit vilurence through blocking this process. I started my PhD in October 2024 after completing an MRes in the same lab also researching AniA. I completed a BSc in Natural Sciences at Durham University where I followed the Biology and Chemistry combined honours pathway.  

Journal Article

• AccA from Neisseria gonorrhoeae provides a new framework for understanding periplasmic copper metallochaperones
  
  Firth, S., Earl, W., Thaqi, D., Hong, Y., O’Hern, C., Luscombe, G., Ngu, D. H. Y., Luo, Z., Jobichen, C., Kobe, B., McEwan, A., & Djoko, K. (2026). AccA from Neisseria gonorrhoeae provides a new framework for understanding periplasmic copper metallochaperones. Chemical Science. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1039/d5sc08738d