Dr Tara Pukala

Biography/ Background

Career Summary:

2008 - present  Lecturer in Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Physics, University of Adelaide, Australia
2007 - 2008  Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Cambridge, U.K.
2006 - 2007  ARC Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Adelaide, Australia
2002 - 2006  Ph.D. in Chemistry, University of Adelaide, Australia
1999 - 2001  B.Sc. (Hons) in Chemistry, University of Adelaide, Australia

Research Interests

My research interests are primarily focussed on the further development of mass spectrometric methods for the analysis of biological molecules, with particular application to the study of protein-protein interactions and large protein complexes.

Current projects include;

• development of ion mobility-mass spectrometry for the study of protein complexes
• structrual analysis of the protein transcription factor machinery
• development of computational tools for the study of protein quaternary structure 
• design of novel mass spectrometry amenable protein cross-linking strategies
• mechanistic studies of protein misfolding and aggregation

Further details of current projects are available here.

Publications

Selected Recent Publications:

Subunit architecture of multiprotein assemblies determined using restraints from gas-phase measurements.
T.L. Pukala, B.T. Ruotolo,  M Zhou, A. Politis, R. Stefanescu, J.A. Leary and C.V. Robinson.
Structure. 17(9):1235-43 (2009) [Link to Article]

Anuran host-defence peptides that complex with Ca2+ calmodulin and inhibit the synthesis of the cell signalling agent nitric oxide by neuronal nitric oxide synthase.
J.R. Doyle, L.E. Llewellyn, T.L. Pukala, R.J. Jackway and J.H. Bowie.
In Bioactive Peptides (J. Howl and S. Jones, Eds. pp 315-332) Taylor and Francis Publishing Group, UK (2009) 

Binding studies of nNOS-active amphibian peptides and Ca(2+) calmodulin, using negative ion electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry.
T.L. Pukala, T. Urathamakul, S.J. Watt, J.L. Beck, R.J. Jackway and J.H Bowie.
Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom. 22(22):3501-3509 (2008)  [Link to Article]

Disulfide-containing peptides from the glandular skin secretions of froglets of the genus Crinia: Structure, activity and evolutionary trends.
R.J. Jackway, T.L. Pukala, V.M. Maselli, I.F. Musgrave,  J.H. Bowie, Y. Liu, K.H. Surinya-Johnson, S.C. Donnellan, J.R. Doyle, L.E. Llewellyn and M.J. Tyler.
Regul. Pept. 151(1-3):80-87 (2008)  [Link to Article]

Effect of antimicrobial peptides from Australian tree frogs on anionic phospholipid membranes.
J.D. Gehman, F. Luc, K. Hall, T. Lee, M.P. Boland, T.L. Pukala, J.H. Bowie, M. Aguilar and F. Separovic.
Biochem. 47(33):8557-8565 (2008)  [Link to Article]

Solution structure and interaction of cupiennin 1a, a spider venom peptide, with phospholipid bilayers.
T.L. Pukala, M.P. Boland, J.D. Gehman, L. Kuhn-Nentwig, F. Separovic and J.H. Bowie.
Biochem. 46(11):3576-3585 (2007)  [Link to Article]

Host-defence peptide profiles of the skin secretions of interspecific hybrid tree frogs and their parents, female Litoria splendida and male Litoria caerulea.
T.L. Pukala, T. Bertozzi, S.C. Donnellan, J.H. Bowie, K.H. Surinya-Johnson,Y. Liu, R.J. Jackway, J.R. Doyle, L.E. Llewellyn and M.J. Tyler.
FEBS J. 273(15):3511-3519 (2006)  [Link to Article]

A full publication list is available.

Scholarships and Research Opportunities

PhD scholarships are available - please contact me directly using the details above.

Files

• Tara_Pukala_Research_Projects.pdf [150.1K] (application/pdf)

Entry last updated: Monday, 21 Sep 2009