Research Staff: Professor Ian Brereton

DIRECTOR, CMR
DIRECTOR, Queensland NMR Network

Address:
Centre for Magnetic Resonance
Level 2, Gehrmann Laboratories
Research Road
The University of Queensland
Brisbane. QLD. 4072
E-mail address: Ian Brereton
Telephone: +61-7-3365 4245
Fax: +61-7-3365 3833
Home Page: Ian Brereton

Career Profile:
B.Sc., University of Adelaide
Ph.D., University of Adelaide

Research Interests:

Professor Ian Brereton is the Director of the Centre and is responsible for the high resolution NMR service. He has over 20 years experience in the application of NMR spectroscopy to the chemical and biomedical sciences. NMR is a key technology for determining the structures of molecules and visualising the anatomy of living tissue and microscopic structure, and has revolutionised chemistry, diagnostic medicine and structural biology. NMR is one of only two techniques available for determining the structures of proteins, providing the fundamental molecular information used in drug design programs.

Prof Brereton is the inaugural Director of the Queensland NMR Network, which received Smart State Research Facilities Funding (SSRFF) to establish a network of state-of-the-art, high field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) equipment, including the most powerful machine of its kind in the southern hemisphere – a 900 MHz high-resolution spectrometer. The facilities will allow researchers from universities, institutes and companies to carry out cutting-edge research in a broad range of fields, particularly focusing on biodiscovery, drug design, neuroscience and instrument development.

Prof Brereton has been instrumental in the acquisition by Supertron Technologies Inc. of Spin Systems Ltd, which represents a successful commercial spin-out for CMR and the University. Supertron is a New Jersey-based company developing low-cost cold-RF coil technology. The CEO, Richard Hullihen has expressed the strong view that the relationship of the company with CMR is something he wishes to maintain and expand.

Selected publications:

• Keough, D.T., Skinner-Adams, T., Jones, M., Ng, A.-L., Brereton, I.M., Guddat, L.W. and de Jersey, J. (2006). Purine base analogs discriminate between human and P. falciparum 6-oxopurine phosphoribosyltransferases: implications for malaria chemotherapy. Journal Medicinal Chemistry 49(25); 7479-7486.
• Keough, D.T., Brereton, I.M., de Jersey, J. and Guddat, L.W. (2005). The crystal structure of free human hypoxanthin-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase reveals extensive conformational plasticity throughout the catalytic cycle. Journal of Molecular Biology 351: 170-181.
• Vegh, V., Zhao, H., Doddrell, D.M., Brereton, I.M. and Galloway, G.F. (2005). The design of planar gradient coils. Part II: A weighted superposition method. Concepts in Magnetic Resonance Part B: Magnetic Resonance Engineering 27B(1): 25-33.
• Fletcher, M.T., Wood, B.J., Brereton, I.M., Stoke, J.E., De Voss, J.J. and Kitching, W. (2002). 18O-oxygen incorporation reveals novel pathways in spiroacetal biosynthesis by Bactrocera cacuminata and B. cucumis. Journal of the American Chemical Society 124: 7666-7667
• Kurniawan, N.D., Atkins, A.R., Bieri, S., Brown, C.J., Brereton, I.M., Kroon, P.A. and Smith, R. (2000). NMR structure of a concatemer of the first and second ligand-binding modules of the human LDL receptor. Protein Science 9: 1282-1293
• Lewis, R.J., Vernoux, J.-P. and Brereton, I.M. (1998). Structure of Caribbean ciguatoxin isolated from Caranx latus. Journal of the American Chemical Society 120: 5914-5920
• Smith, R., Brereton, I.M., Chai, R.Y. and Kent, S.B.H. (1996). Ionization states of the catalytic residues in HIV-1 protease. Nature Structural Biology 3: 946-950
• Brereton, I.M., Galloway, G.J., Rose, S.R. and Doddrell, D.M. (1994). Localised two dimensional shift correlated spectroscopy in humans at 2 tesla. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine 32: 251-257
• Tyburn, J.M., Brereton, I.M. and Doddrell, D.M. (1992). Coherence selection in gradient enhanced heteronuclear correlation spectroscopy. Journal of Magnetic Resonance 97: 305-312.
• Brereton, I.M., Crozier, S., Field, J. and Doddrell, D.M. (1991). Quadrature detection in F1 induced by pulsed field gradients. Journal of Magnetic Resonance 93: 54-62
• Brereton, I.M., Field, J., Moxon, L.N., Irving, M.G. and Doddrell, D.M. (1989). Water suppression with B₀ field gradient homospoil pulses in high resolution NRM spectroscopy. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine 9: 118-125