Callum Haste

I am a highly motivated and determined cryo-EM scientist with 8 years of experience of practical cryo-EM and 10 years of protein biochemistry, regularly working with traditionally difficult targets ranging from large, flexible, multi-protein-nucleic acid complexes to small membrane proteins

Postdoctoral Training Fellow at The Institute of Cancer Research, London (2023-01 – Present)

Supervisor: Dr. Basil Greber

• Optimised the cryo-EM study of TFIIH and associated nucleotide excision repair (NER) factors from construct design through to processing and model building, resulting in 3 novel high-resolution structures of protein-DNA complexes
• Produced streptavidin affinity grids for visualising fragile protein complexes without the use of crosslinking
• Obtained a near-atomic resolution structure of the cyclin-dependent kinase-activating kinase (CAK) bound to a covalent inhibitor, allowing unambiguous assignment of drug-protein interactions
• Determined the structure of CAK in complex with a molecular glue and presenter protein
• Contributed to manuscripts for publication in high-impact journals and gave regular research presentations
• Train and mentor PhD students in biochemical and structural techniques
• Oversee consumables ordering, ÄKTA maintenance, and sustainability efforts, raising lab LEAF accreditation from Bronze to Silver

Graduate Researcher at Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology (ISMB), University College London and Birkbeck College (2018-01 – 2023-12)

Supervisor: Professor Bonnie Wallace, Professor of Molecular Biophysics. PhD Thesis: "Biochemical and Structural Studies of the Voltage-gated Sodium Channels hNav1.8 and NavMs"

• Developed a protocol for the reconstitution of the prokaryotic sodium channel NavMs into lipid nanodiscs, culminating in its first cryo-EM structure and revealing insights into its activation cycle
• Used biochemical and biophysical methods to investigate the effectiveness of heterologous expression of the human sodium channel Nav1.8 in T. thermophila for study by cryo-EM

MSci Research Student, Biochemistry at Queen Mary University of London (2017-01 – 2018-12)

Supervisor: Professor Alexander Ruban, Professor in Biophysics. Thesis: "Convergent Evolution of LHCX1 and PsbS in Photoprotection". Used biochemistry, PAM fluorometry, and fluorescence emission spectroscopy to investigate the function and characteristics of the LHCX1 protein in P. tricornutum algae, helping to elucidate its evolutionary history and role in non-photochemical quenching.

BSc 3rd Year Researcher, Biochemistry at Queen Mary University of London (2016-01 – 2017-12)

Supervisor: Dr Ewan Main, Senior Lecturer. Thesis: "The Expression, Purification, and Hydrogelation of Nucleoporin 153"

• Optimised the expression and purification of an unstable nuclear pore complex protein to form a hydrogel from concentrated sample, increasing the yield and purity of target protein

PhD in Biological Sciences – Birkbeck and UCL, LIDo DTP (2018 – 2023)

MSci in Biochemistry – Queen Mary University of London (2014 – 2018)