Katharina L. Dürr

Structural biologist — membrane proteins, ion channels & drug discovery

I study the structure and dynamics of membrane proteins using cryo-EM and X-ray crystallography, with a focus on ion channels and transporters relevant to human disease and drug discovery.

Director of Translational Research, Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery — Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford

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Research highlights

• Transport, inhibition and PI(4,5)P₂ regulation of the S1P exporter SPNS2 — Cryo-EM structures and biochemistry of the human sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) exporter SPNS2, captured in complex with a nanobody (NbD12), together with mechanistic work showing how SPNS2 recruits PI(4,5)P₂ to synergistically regulate S1P transport.
  • View publication
  • Read the paper (Nat Commun, 2025)
  • Read the paper (Molecular Cell, 2023)
• Structural basis of TPC2 inhibition by SG-094 — Asymmetric antagonist binding to the lysosomal two-pore channel; highlighted in a Structure Preview (Descending to inhibit).
  • View publication
  • Read the paper (Structure, 2024)
  • Read the Structure Preview
• Human urea transporters UT-A and UT-B and their inhibition — Cryo-EM structures of the human urea transporters with inhibitor bound in the central pore, providing a starting point for selective UT-B inhibitor design.
  • View publication
  • Read the paper (Sci Adv, 2023)
• Cryo-EM structures of the epilepsy-linked Kv3.1 channel — Resolved gating control by the cytoplasmic T1 domain, with implications for KCNC1 encephalopathies.
  • View publication
  • Read the paper (Nat Commun, 2022)
  • Featured in Thermo Fisher's Accelerating Microscopy blog
  • Read the Commentary (Nat Commun)
• Cover story in The EMBO Journal: KCC1 and KCC3 — Cryo-EM structures of human KCC1 and KCC3 revealed N-terminal autoinhibition and a nucleotide-binding pocket regulating K-Cl transport; covered by Flygaard et al. in a News & Views (Transport unplugged).
  • View publication
  • Read the News & Views (Flygaard et al., EMBO J)
  • SLC12A4/SLC12A6 Target Enabling Package (SGC, PDF)
• RESOLUTE consortium: SLC transporters for drug discovery — Contributed to a public-private effort to unlock an under-studied class of drug targets.
  • View publication
  • Visit re-solute.eu
• AMPA-subtype glutamate receptor GluA2: gating states and activation by a cone-snail toxin — Captured the full-length GluA2 receptor in resting, pre-open and desensitized states (Cell), and resolved X-ray complexes with cone-snail toxins that illuminate the activation mechanism (Science).
  • View Cell paper (gating states)
  • Read in Cell
  • View Science paper (cone-snail toxin)
  • Read in Science
• More than 50 PDB depositions across 10 membrane protein families — Including KCC1/3, KCC2, Kv3.1, TPC2, SLC15A4, urea transporters UT-A/UT-B, SPNS2 and GluA2. Browse all structures
• 1,300+ citations · h-index 17 · i10-index 24 — Across structural and functional studies of membrane transport proteins.

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