Biochemical Journal Poster Prize winner

Rick Hibbert

Rick Hibbert is a post-doctoral research fellow at the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam. He performed his PhD research in Oxford University's Biochemistry Department under the supervision of Dr Jim McDonnell. They studied how CD23 can control allergic responses by regulating levels of the immunoglobulin IgE. By solving the NMR structure of soluble CD23 and biophysically characterizing its interactions with IgE and a second ligand, CD21, different structural states of CD23 were identified that were responsible for both up- and down-regulation of IgE levels.

He now works in the laboratory of Prof Titia K Sixma, using X-ray crystallography and biochemistry to study how ubiquitin conjugation can regulate responses to DNA damage. The current project addresses how E3 ubiquitin ligase Rad18 can activate E2 enzyme Rad6 towards monoubiquitylation of PCNA and prevent ubiquitin chain formation by this E2 enzyme.