Howitt Group - Transporter structure and function
Howitt group explores how transporters function and aim to understand their molecular mechanisms.
About
We are interested in how transporters function and we aim to understand their molecular mechanisms. We are using heterologous expression systems to characterize transporters and mutant variants that have been generated by site-directed mutagenesis or random methods. This allows us to test hypotheses about which regions of the transporter are important for function.
We are also interested in science education, especially in student perceptions of research and how this impacts on their learning of science.
Awards
Publications
Selected publications
2015
- Howitt SM and Wilson AN. Developing, expressing and contesting opinions of science: encouraging the student voice. Higher Education Research and Development. 34:541-553
- Wilson AN, Howitt SM, Higgins DM and Roberts PJ. (2015) Making Critical Thinking Visible in Undergraduates’ Experiences of Scientific Research. In ‘Critical Thinking in Higher Education’, eds M. Davies and R. Barnett. Palgrave MacMillan. 491-508.
- 2014
- Howitt SM and Wilson AN. Revisiting ‘Is the scientific paper a fraud?’ EMBO Reports.15: 481-484
- Price GD and Howitt SM (2014) Topology mapping to characterize cyanobacterial bicarbonate transporters: BicA (SulP/SLC26 family) and SbtA. Molecular Membrane Biology. 31:177-182
- Du J, Förster B, Rourke L, Howitt SM, Price GD. (2014) Characterisation of cyanobacterial bicarbonate transporters in E. coli shows that SbtA homologs are functional in this heterologous expression system. PLoS One
- GD Price and SM Howitt (2014) Plant Science: Towards turbocharged photosynthesis Nature 513:497-498
2013
- Wilson A., SM. Howitt, G. Åkerlind, P. Roberts, K. Wilson. (2013) Connecting expectations and experiences of students in a research immersive degree. Studies in Higher Education. 38: 1562-76
2012
- Wilson A., SM. Howitt, K. Wilson, P. Roberts. (2012). Academics' perceptions of the purpose of undergraduate research experiences in a research-intensive degree. Studies in Higher Education: 37: 513-52
- Price GD, Pengelly JJ, Forster B, Du J, Whitney SM, von Caemmerer S, Badger MR, Howitt SM, Evans JR. (2012) The cyanobacterial CCM as a source of genes for improving photosynthetic CO2 fixation in crop species. J Exp Bot. 64: 753-68
- Seymour VA, Curmi JP, Howitt SM, Casarotto MG, Laver DR, Tierney ML.(2012) Selective modulation of different GABAA receptor isoforms by diazepam and etomidate in hippocampal neurons. Int J Biochem Cell Biol. 44(9):1491-500
- Wilson A and Howitt SM (2012) Is more always better? An Australian experiment with a research-intensive undergraduate degree. Council of Undergraduate Research Quarterly. 33: 28-33
2011
- Price GD and Howitt SM (2011) The cyanobacterial bicarbonate transporter BicA: its physiological role and the implications of structural similarities with human SLC26 transporters. Biochem Cell Biol. 89(2):178-88
- Price GD, Shelden MC, Howitt SM (2011) Membrane topology of the cyanobacterial bicarbonate transporter, SbtA, and identification of potential regulatory loops. Mol. Memb. Biol 28(5):265-75.
2010
- Shelden MC, Howitt SM and Price GD (2010) Membrane topology of the cyanobacterial bicarbonate transporter, BicA, a member of the SulP (SLC26A) family Mol Memb Biol 27: 12-23
- SM Howitt, AN Wilson, KF Wilson and P Roberts (2010) “Please remember we are not all brilliant:” undergraduates' experiences of an elite, research-intensive degree at a research-intensive university . HERD 29: 405-420
- Gruber BD, Ryan PR, Richardson AE, Tyerman SD, Ramesh S, Hebb DM, Howitt SM, Delhaize E. (2010) HvALMT1 from barley is involved in the transport of organic anions.J Exp Bot. 61:1455-67
- Henry RI, Cobbold SA, Allen RJ, Khan A, Hayward R, Lehane AM, Bray PG, Howitt SM, Biagini GA, Saliba KJ, Kirk K. (2010) An acid-loading chloride transport pathway in the intraerythrocytic malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. J Biol Chem. 285(24):18615-26.
All publications
Projects
Members
Honorary Group Leader
News
Professor Susan Howitt reflects on being a scientist
Carboxysomes are polyhedral protein micro-compartments in cyanobacteria which concentrate CO2 and increase the efficiency of carbon fixation. In 1993, RSBS researchers Dean Price, Murray Badger and Susan Howitt determined the genetic sequence encoding for the proteins that form the protein shell of a carboxysome.
