AIME - Aston Institute for Membrane Excellence
AIME is a unique, interdisciplinary, intersectoral research and training hub for translational membrane science.
Our RE E3 award provides £10 million to synergistically combine world-leading expertise in membrane biology and novel polymer chemistries to establish a first-of-its-kind institute, expanding our distinctive excellence in computational membrane science, membrane structural determination and sustainable polymers research. No other institute in the global research and innovation landscape has the platform, potential or promise for major breakthroughs that AIME heralds.
AIME is a globally unique, cross-disciplinary institute to develop novel membranes for use in applications as varied as drug discovery and water purification. The team behind AIME believes that the full potential of membranes will only be realised by a research team spanning biology, physics and chemistry that can investigate membranes holistically. No other institute has the platform, potential or promise for major breakthroughs in this area. The vision is for AIME to become a ‘one-stop shop’ for interdisciplinary, translational membrane research through access to its facilities and expertise, ideally located in the heart of the UK.
A membrane is a barrier, often a thin film, which allows through some substances but not others. Membranes can be biological, like those found in cells, or synthetic, such as those used in laboratory chemical processes or even the waterproof, yet breathable clothes that we wear. Industrial membranes, for example, are used to recover high-value compounds from waste streams, while biological membranes in plants help them take in nutrients from soil. The world’s top ten selling human medicines, which have global annual sales exceeding US$100bn, all target proteins in biological cell membranes and synthetic polymer membranes are used in the US$100bn/year water purification industry. Industries relating to and using membranes are big business.
Membrane proteins form the majority of drug targets and hence are extremely important to study. Many drug discovery and validation processes require expression and purification of high quantities of pure membrane proteins, which represents a significant challenge. AIME are experts in expression and purification of challenging membrane proteins from all classes for a range of downstream applications. We are already using our expertise to address unmet clinical needs.
Membrane proteins naturally exist in a hydrophobic lipid environment. To extract them from this and make them soluble in aqueous environments has traditionally required small molecule detergents. However, this approach has detrimental effects on both the structure and stability of the membrane protein, as well as stripping away vital lipids that modulate membrane protein activity. AIME has been at the heart of developing, applying and understanding the use of novel polymers to extract membrane proteins directly from their native environments, retaining lipids, stability and activity.
AIME members have a strong portfolio of studying a wide range of lipidic nanoparticles from naturally occurring extracellular vesicles and lipoprotein particles to synthetic liposomes and lipid discs. We use these not only as tools to understand membrane and lipid activity, but to develop novel therapeutics and delivery methods for medicines.
We have state-of-the-art mass spectrometry facilities which, coupled to biochemical and biophysical approaches, allows us to study the lipidomes of cells from mammalian to microbes. We have interests in the effect of oxidised lipids in health and disease and the effect that stresses have on the cellular lipidomes.
AIME wants to drive forward transformational technologies. We know that to do this we must have an open and pragmatic approach to intellectual property (IP), therefore these are our open principles.
We hope that across these four points we are laying out a clear platform for our research and innovation engagement with our new and existing partners. Fundamentally, we want any new knowledge we generate to have an impact beyond the lab, and so we propose a permissive, flexible approach to IP.
AIME welcomes enquiries from independent fellowship applicants or fellowship holders who wish to develop their careers in our supportive environment
The AIME team offer dedicated support to help craft a high quality scientific proposal and a world class package of transferable skills and career development support. To talk to the AIME team about fellowship opportunities, please contact us.
We are excited to announce the launch of the Aston University Vice-Chancellor’s Prize Fellowship Scheme, set to open for applications in March 2025. Fellows will enjoy three years of supported research independence with highly competitive salaries, and at the end of this period, they will have the opportunity to transition to open-ended academic positions, subject to excellent performance.
We also support potential applicants to other fellowship schemes, such as the Marie S Curie Post Doctoral Fellowship, the UKRI Future Leader Fellowship, and others. Please get in touch.
The Team
AIME Distinguished Visiting Researchers