Dr Nicole Lawrence
Senior Research Fellow
Institute for Molecular Bioscience
+61 7 344 36298
Researcher biography
My research focuses on using host defence molecules as the basis for designing peptide-based drugs with improved safety and reduced likelihood of drug resistance to combat infectious disease caused by pathogenic bacteria and malaria parasites. Zooming in to investigate molecular interactions at the cell surface and inside infected cells allows me to describe and refine how drug candidates overcome disease organisms to produce the next generation of antimicrobial drugs.
Book Chapter
Lawrence, Nicole and Craik, David J. (2021). Intracellular targeting of cyclotides for therapeutic applications. Methods in pharmacology and toxicology. (pp. 229-248) New York, NY USA: Humana Press. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1250-7_11
Journal Articles
Oshiro, Karen G. N., Freitas, Carlos D. P., Rezende, Samilla B., Orozco, Raquel M. Q., Chan, Lai Y., Lawrence, Nicole, Lião, Luciano M., Macedo, Maria L. R., Craik, David J., Cardoso, Marlon H. and Franco, Octávio L. (2024). Deciphering the structure and mechanism‐of‐action of computer‐designed mastoparan peptides. The FEBS Journal, 291 (5), 865-883. doi: 10.1111/febs.17010
Wang, Conan K., Huang, Yen-Hua, Shabbir, Fatima, Pham, Huong T., Lawrence, Nicole, Benfield, Aurélie H., van der Donk, Wilfred, Henriques, Sónia T., Turner, Mark S. and Craik, David J. (2023). The circular bacteriocin enterocin NKR-5-3B has an improved stability profile over nisin. Peptides, 167 171049, 171049. doi: 10.1016/j.peptides.2023.171049
Palombi, Isabella R., Lawrence, Nicole, White, Andrew M., Gare, Caitlin L., Craik, David J., McMorran, Brendan J. and Malins, Lara R. (2023). Development of antiplasmodial peptide–drug conjugates using a human protein-derived cell-penetrating peptide with selectivity for infected cells. Bioconjugate Chemistry, 34 (6), 1105-1113. doi: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.3c00147
Amiss, Anna S., Henriques, Sónia Troeira and Lawrence, Nicole (2022). Antimicrobial peptides provide wider coverage for targeting drug‐resistant bacterial pathogens. Peptide Science, 114 (2) e24246, 1-12. doi: 10.1002/pep2.24246
Amiss, Anna S., von Pein, Jessica B., Webb, Jessica R., Condon, Nicholas D., Harvey, Peta J., Phan, Minh-Duy, Schembri, Mark A., Currie, Bart J., Sweet, Matthew J., Craik, David J., Kapetanovic, Ronan, Henriques, Sónia Troeira and Lawrence, Nicole (2021). Modified horseshoe crab peptides target and kill bacteria inside host cells. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 79 (1) 38, 38. doi: 10.1007/s00018-021-04041-z
Muller, Jessica A. I., Lawrence, Nicole, Chan, Lai Yue, Harvey, Peta J., Elliott, Alysha G., Blaskovich, Mark A. T., Gonçalves, Jacqueline C., Galante, Priscilla, Mortari, Marcia R., Toffoli-Kadri, Mônica C., Koehbach, Johannes and Craik, David (2021). Antimicrobial and anticancer properties of synthetic peptides derived from the wasp Parachartergus fraternus. Chembiochem , 22 (8) cbic.202000716, 1415-1423. doi: 10.1002/cbic.202000716
Tombling, Benjamin J., Lammi, Carmen, Lawrence, Nicole, Gilding, Edward K., Grazioso, Giovanni, Craik, David J. and Wang, Conan K. (2021). Bioactive cyclization optimizes the affinity of a Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin Type 9 (PCSK9) peptide inhibitor. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 64 (5) acs.jmedchem.0c01766, 2523-2533. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01766
Philippe, Grégoire J.-B., Mittermeier, Anna, Lawrence, Nicole, Huang, Yen-Hua, Condon, Nicholas D., Loewer, Alexander, Craik, David J. and Henriques, Sónia T. (2021). Angler peptides: macrocyclic conjugates inhibit p53:MDM2/X interactions and activate apoptosis in cancer cells. ACS Chemical Biology, 16 (2) acschembio.0c00988, 414-428. doi: 10.1021/acschembio.0c00988
Tombling, Benjamin J., Lammi, Carmen, Lawrence, Nicole, Li, Jianqiang, Arnoldi, Anna, Craik, David J. and Wang, Conan K. (2021). Engineered EGF-A peptides with improved affinity for proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9). ACS Chemical Biology, 16 (2) acschembio.0c00991, 429-439. doi: 10.1021/acschembio.0c00991
Benfield, Aurélie H., Defaus, Sira, Lawrence, Nicole, Chaousis, Stephanie, Condon, Nicholas, Cheneval, Olivier, Huang, Yen-Hua, Chan, Lai Yue, Andreu, David, Craik, David J. and Henriques, Sónia Troeira (2021). Cyclic gomesin, a stable redesigned spider peptide able to enter cancer cells. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Biomembranes, 1863 (1) 183480, 183480. doi: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2020.183480
Nevin, S. T., Lawrence, N., Nicke, A., Lewis, R. J. and Adams, D. J. (2021). Functional modulation of the human voltage-gated sodium channel NaV1.8 by auxiliary β subunits. Channels, 15 (1), 79-93. doi: 10.1080/19336950.2020.1860399
Handley, Thomas N. G., Harvey, Peta J., Wang, Conan K., Lawrence, Nicole and Craik, David (2020). Cyclotide structures revealed by NMR, with a little help from X-ray crystallography. Chembiochem, 21 (24) cbic.202000315, 3463-3475. doi: 10.1002/cbic.202000315
Handley, Thomas N. G., Wang, Conan K., Harvey, Peta J., Lawrence, Nicole and Craik, David J. (2020). Front Cover: Cyclotide Structures Revealed by NMR, with a Little Help from X‐ray Crystallography (ChemBioChem 24/2020). ChemBioChem, 21 (24), 3449-3449. doi: 10.1002/cbic.202000778
Amiss, Anna S., Webb, Jessica R., Mayo, Mark, Currie, Bart J., Craik, David J., Henriques, Sónia Troeira and Lawrence, Nicole (2020). Safer in vitro drug screening models for melioidosis therapy development. The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene, 103 (5), 1846-1851. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-0248
Lawrence, Nicole, Philippe, Grégoire J.-B., Harvey, Peta J., Condon, Nicholas D., Benfield, Aurélie H., Cheneval, Olivier, Craik, David J. and Troeira Henriques, Sónia (2020). Cyclic peptide scaffold with ability to stabilize and deliver a helical cell-impermeable cargo across membranes of cultured cancer cells. RSC Chemical Biology, 1 (5), 405-420. doi: 10.1039/d0cb00099j
Vernen, Felicitas, Craik, David J., Lawrence, Nicole and Troeira Henriques, Sónia (2019). Cyclic analogues of horseshoe crab peptide Tachyplesin I with anticancer and cell penetrating properties. ACS Chemical Biology, 14 (12), 2895-2908. doi: 10.1021/acschembio.9b00782
Vernen, Felicitas, Harvey, Peta J., Dias, Susana A., Veiga, Ana Salomé, Huang, Yen-Hua, Craik, David J., Lawrence, Nicole and Troeira Henriques, Sónia (2019). Characterization of tachyplesin peptides and their cyclized analogues to improve antimicrobial and anticancer properties. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 20 (17) 4184, 4184. doi: 10.3390/ijms20174184
Philippe, Grégoire J. -B., Gaspar, Diana, Sheng, Caibin, Huang, Yen-Hua, Benfield, Aurélie H., Condon, Nicholas D., Weidmann, Joachim, Lawrence, Nicole, Löwer, Alexander, Castanho, Miguel A. R. B., Craik, David J. and Troeira Henriques, Sónia (2019). Cell membrane composition drives selectivity and toxicity of designed cyclic helix-loop-helix peptides with cell penetrating and tumor suppressor properties. ACS Chemical Biology, 14 (9), 2071-2087. doi: 10.1021/acschembio.9b00593
Lawrence, Nicole, Wu, Bin, Ligutti, Joseph, Cheneval, Olivier, Agwa, Akello Joanna, Benfield, Aurélie H., Biswas, Kaustav, Craik, David J., Miranda, Les P., Henriques, Sónia Troeira and Schroeder, Christina I. (2019). Peptide-membrane interactions affect the inhibitory potency and selectivity of spider toxins ProTx-II and GpTx-1. ACS Chemical Biology, 14 (1), 118-130. doi: 10.1021/acschembio.8b00989
Lawrence, Nicole, Dennis, Adelaide S. M., Lehane, Adele M., Ehmann, Anna, Harvey, Peta J., Benfield, Aurélie H., Cheneval, Olivier, Henriques, Sónia Troeira, Craik, David J. and McMorran, Brendan J. (2018). Defense peptides engineered from human platelet factor 4 kill Plasmodium by selective membrane disruption. Cell Chemical Biology, 25 (9), 1140-+. doi: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2018.06.009
Agwa, Akello J., Peigneur, Steve, Chow, Chun Yuen, Lawrence, Nicole, Craik, David J., Tytgat, Jan, King, Glenn F., Henriques, Sonia Troeira and Schroeder, Christina I. (2018). Gating modifier toxins isolated from spider venom: modulation of voltage-gated sodium channels and the role of lipid membranes. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 293 (23), 9041-9052. doi: 10.1074/jbc.RA118.002553
Agwa, Akello J., Lawrence, Nicole, Deplazes, Evelyne, Cheneval, Olivier, Chen, Rachel M., Craik, David J., Schroeder, Christina I. and Henriques, Sonia T. (2017). Spider peptide toxin HwTx-IV engineered to bind to lipid membranes has an increased inhibitory potency at human voltage-gated sodium channel hNa(V)1.7 (vol 1859, pg 835, 2017). Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta-Biomembranes, 1859 (11), 2277-2277. doi: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2017.08.008
Henriques, Sónia Troeira, Lawrence, Nicole, Chaousis, Stephanie, Ravipati, Anjaneya S., Cheneval, Olivier, Benfield, Aurélie H., Elliott, Alysha G., Kavanagh, Angela Maria, Cooper, Matthew A., Chan, Lai Yue, Huang, Yen-Hua and Craik, David J. (2017). Redesigned spider peptide with improved antimicrobial and anticancer properties. ACS Chemical Biology, 12 (9), 2324-2334. doi: 10.1021/acschembio.7b00459
Agwa, Akello J., Lawrence, Nicole, Deplazes, Evelyne, Cheneval, Olivier, Chen, Rachel M., Craik, David J., Schroeder, Christina I. and Henriques, Sónia T. (2017). Spider peptide toxin HwTx-IV engineered to bind to lipid membranes has an increased inhibitory potency at human voltage-gated sodium channel hNaV1.7. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta. Biomembranes, 1859 (5), 835-844. doi: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2017.01.020
Troeira Henriques, Sonia, Deplazes, Evelyne, Lawrence, Nicole, Cheneval, Olivier, Chaousis, Stephanie, Inserra, Marco, Thongyoo, Panumart, King, Glenn F., Mark, Alan E., Vetter, Irina, Craik, David J. and Schroeder, Christina Ingrid (2016). Interaction of tarantula venom peptide ProTx-II with lipid membranes is a prerequisite for its inhibition of human voltage-gated sodium channel NaV1.7. The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 291 (33), 17049-17065. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M116.729095
Philippe, Gregoire, Huang, Yen-Hua, Cheneval, Olivier, Lawrence, Nicole, Zhang, Zhen, Fairlie, David P., Craik, David J., Dantas De Araujo, Aline and Troeira Henriques, Sonia (2016). Development of cell-penetrating peptide-based drug leads to inhibit MDMX:p53 and MDM2:p53 interactions. Biopolymers - Peptide Science, 106 (6), 853-863. doi: 10.1002/bip.22893
Knapp, O., Nevin, S. T., Yasuda, T., Lawrence, N., Lewis, R. J. and Adams, D. J. (2012). Biophysical properties of Naᵥ 1.8/Naᵥ 1.2 chimeras and inhibition by µO-conotoxin MrVIB. British Journal of Pharmacology, 166 (7), 2148-2160. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2012.01955.x
Loughnan, Marion L., Nicke, Annette, Lawrence, Nicole and Lewis, Richard J. (2009). Novel alpha D-conopeptides and their precursors identified by cDNA cloning define the D-conotoxin superfamily. Biochemistry, 48 (17), 3717-3729. doi: 10.1021/bi9000326
Scott, Leon J., Lawrence, Nicole, Lange, Corinna L., Graham, Glenn C., Hardwick, Scott, Rossiter, Louise, Dillon, Martin L. and Scott, Kirsten D. (2006). Population dynamics and gene flow of Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera : Noctuidae) on cotton and grain crops in the Murrumbidgee Valley, Australia. Journal of Economic Entomology, 99 (1), 155-163. doi: 10.1603/0022-0493(2006)099[0155:PDAGFO]2.0.CO;2
Scott, Kirsten D., Lawrence, Nicole, Lange, Corinna L., Scott, Leon J., Wilkinson, Kendle S., Merritt, Melissa A., Miles, Melina, Murray, David and Graham, Glenn C. (2005). Assessing moth migration and population structuring in Helicoverpa annigera (Lepidoptera : Noctuidae) at the regional scale: Example from the Darling Downs, Australia. Journal of Economic Entomology, 98 (6), 2210-2219. doi: 10.1093/jee/98.6.2210
Scott, K. D., Wilkinson, K. S., Lawrence, N., Lange, C. L., Scott, L. J., Merritt, M. A., Lowe, A. J. and Graham, G. C. (2005). Gene-flow between populations of cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is highly variable between years. Bulletin of Entomological Research, 95 (4), 381-392. doi: 10.1079/BER2005369
Lawrence, N, Stowers, A, Mann, V, Taylor, D and Saul, A (2000). Recombinant chimeric proteins generated from conserved regions of Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface protein 2 generate antiparasite humoral responses in mice. Parasite Immunology, 22 (5), 211-221. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-3024.2000.00293.x
Stowers, Anthony, Taylor, Darrin, Prescott, Nicole, Cheng, Qin, Cooper, Juan and Saul, Allan (1997). Assessment of the humoral immune response against Plasmodium falciparum rhoptry-associated proteins 1 and 2. Infection and Immunity, 65 (6), 2329-2338.
Saul, A, Prescott, N, Smith, F, Cheng, Q and Walliker, D (1997). Evidence of cross-contamination among laboratory lines of Plasmodium berghei. Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology, 84 (1), 143-147. doi: 10.1016/S0166-6851(96)02779-X
Stowers, A, Prescott, N, Cooper, J, Takacs, B, Stueber, D, Kennedy, P and Saul, A (1995). Immunogenicity of recombinant Plasmodium falciparum rhoptry associated proteins 1 and 2. Parasite Immunology, 17 (12), 631-642. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3024.1995.tb01009.x
Prescott, N, Stowers, AW, Cheng, Q, Bobogare, A, Rzepczyk, CM and Saul, A (1994). Plasmodium falciparum genetic diversity can be characterised using the polymorphic merozoite surface antigen 2 (MSA-2) gene as a single locus marker. Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology, 63 (2), 203-212. doi: 10.1016/0166-6851(94)90056-6
Thesis
Prescott, Nicole (1997). The production of immunogenic recombinant proteins and protein chimeras from plasmodial merozoite surface proteins. PhD Thesis, Tropical Health Program, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/27cf1ff