Dunstone Laboratory
Pore Forming Proteins and
Immunity
Welcome to the Dunstone Lab
Our research looks at the structure and evolution of the pore forming proteins or the “hole-punchers” of life. These hole-punchers are used by the immune system to kill bacteria and used by bacteria to kill us!
We're part of the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, and a member of the Infection & Immunity Program, Cancer and Development & Stem Cells Programs, and the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
Associate Professor Michelle Dunstone
My global research connections, partners and funding can be viewed on my Monash Research Profile.
If you are a student interested in doing research in our lab, visit Supervisor Connect.
Click the links below to connect with me on Twitter, ORCID, Google Scholar and LinkedIn.
Our research
Pore forming proteins are fascinating proteins as they have the ability to breach cell membranes by forming pores or “holes” in the lipid bilayer. These pores can be either lytic to the target cell, or the pores can mediate the passage of effector proteins into the target cell. They are found in all kingdoms of life, especially pathogenic bacteria.
Our lab’s research focus uses structural biology to look at the shape of the proteins at every stage of the assembly pathway to forming a pore. This research is now starting to have applications in anti-inflammatory development, biosensor technology and agriculture applications.
Lab members
We are committed to excellence in research.
Join Our Lab
We're always interested in collaborating with bright and motivated researchers, clinicians and industry. Whether you want to research, study or partner with us to accelerate our discoveries, find out about the work we do.