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Visualising cell signalling in action

Led by Professor Andrew M. Ellisdon at Monash University, the Ellisdon Lab studies structural biology, membrane protein signalling, GPCR biology, nutrient sensing and cytokine signalling. We use cryo-electron microscopy, protein biochemistry, cell biology and AI-enabled protein design to understand the molecular machines that control cell behaviour in cancer, metabolic and immune disease.

A molecular structure model of KICSTOR with components in white, light blue, dark blue, orange, and brown colors, displayed against a white background.

Research

How cells sense nutrients and control growth

Cells constantly measure nutrient availability and adjust growth, metabolism and recycling pathways accordingly. We study how these decisions are organised at lysosomes, specialised organelles that act as both recycling centres and signalling platforms inside the cell.

We use cryo-EM, protein biochemistry, reconstitution of purified complexes, cross-linking mass spectrometry, proteomics, live-cell imaging and computational modelling to understand how nutrient-sensing protein supercomplexes assemble and switch between active and inactive states.

Microscopic view of cells with glowing purple and yellow details.

GPCRs in metabolism

We investigate how GPCRs and GPCR-like proteins control metabolic signalling from inside the cell. A major focus is GPR155/LYCHOS, a cholesterol-responsive lysosomal membrane protein linked to mTORC1 signalling, while our broader goal is to understand how intracellular GPCR-like proteins act as metabolic sensors across diverse nutrient-sensing pathways.

Close-up view of small glass vials with metal caps arranged on a tray, with a blurred background of a medical IV bag and a healthcare setting.

AI-enabled protein design for new therapeutics

We use structural biology, protein engineering and AI-enabled design to create new protein-based therapeutics. A major focus is designing cytokine-inspired biologics and small protein binders that target IL-1 family receptor pathways, with broader applications across inflammatory disease, immunity and other signalling systems.

Latest news

Our LYCHOS research was selected for Monash University’s inaugural Top Ten Discoveries and Impacts Showcase, recognising it as one of the University’s standout research achievements of 2025.

The Ellisdon Lab is a multidisciplinary structural biology research team at the Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University. Our work is centred on cryo-electron microscopy, protein biochemistry and structure-guided discovery, spanning protein complexes, membrane proteins, live-cell signalling, imaging and computational protein design.

Recent papers

Complete list
Complete list

Cytokine Multimers

Nature Reviews Immunology, 2026
Explored how cytokine dimers and higher-order assemblies regulate immune signalling, signalling bias and therapeutic opportunities.

Screenshot of a scientific review article titled "Cytokine multimerization: when more is more and sometimes less" from Nature Reviews Immunology.

KICSTOR-GATOR1

Cell, 2026
Defined the architecture of a lysosomal nutrient-sensing supercomplex that controls Rag GTPase signalling and mTORC1 activation.

Title page of a scientific article titled 'Structure of the lysosomal KICSTOR-GATOR1-SAMTOR nutrient-sensing supercomplex,' including author names, affiliations, and publication details.

LYCHOS and cholesterol sensing

Nature, 2024
Revealed LYCHOS/GPR155 as a cholesterol-responsive lysosomal membrane protein that links a plant-like PIN transporter fold to GPCR biology and mTORC1 signalling.

Title of a scientific article titled 'LYCHOS is a human hybrid of a plant-like PIN transporter and a GPCR' with authors' names, publication DOI link, received and accepted dates.

TSC docking at the lysosome

Science Advances, 2024
Showed how WIPI3 and phosphoinositide signalling recruit the TSC complex to lysosomes to inhibit mTORC1.

Screenshot of a scientific research article titled "Structure of the human TSC:WIP13 lysosomal recruitment complex" published in Science Advances, under the Biochemistry section with authors Charles Bayly-Jones, Christopher J. Lupton, Laura D’Andrea, Yong-Gang Chang, Gareth D. Jones, Joel R. Steele, Hari Venugopal, Ralf B. Schittenhelm, Michelle L. Halls, and Andrew M. Ellisdon.

Lab members

  • Black and white portrait of a man with short dark hair, wearing a dark suit jacket and shirt, smiling slightly.

    Prof Andrew M Ellisdon

    Laboratory head

    andrew.ellisdon@monash.edu

  • Black and white photo of a smiling man with short hair, dressed in a white collared shirt, outdoors with blurred trees in the background.

    Dr Christopher Lupton

    Postdoctoral Research Fellow

    christopher.lupton@monash.edu

  • Man with glasses and a beard smiling, standing in front of a white background.

    Dr Tom Cotton

    Postdoctoral Research Fellow

    thomas.cotton@monash.edu

  • A young man wearing a baseball cap smiling and holding a black and white dog.

    Gareth Jones

    PhD Candidate

    Co-supervised with Dr Christopher Lupton

  • A young woman with shoulder-length dark hair, wearing glasses, and a striped shirt, smiling softly in front of a plain background.

    Wentong Luo

    PhD Candidate

    Co-supervised with Dr Charles Bayly-Jones

  • A smiling woman with dark hair wearing a striped shirt, standing indoors with a clock on the wall behind her.

    Taru Panjikar

    PhD Candidate

    Co-supervised with Dr Charles Bayly-Jones

  • Black and white portrait of a young man in a suit, smiling slightly.

    Ian Costa Paixao

    PhD Candidate

    Co-supervised with Dr Charles Bayly-Jones

We are always interested in hearing from motivated students and researchers who want to work at the interface of structural biology, cell signalling and therapeutic discovery.

Honours and PhD students

Projects are available across cryo-EM, protein biochemistry, nutrient sensing, lysosomal signalling, cytokine biology, membrane proteins, cancer signalling and AI-enabled protein design.

Postdoctoral researchers and fellowship applicants

We welcome enquiries from researchers with expertise in structural biology, cryo-EM, protein biochemistry, molecular and cell biology, imaging, computational biology or protein design.

We are happy to support competitive fellowship applications.

How to apply

Please send a CV, academic transcript if relevant, and a short paragraph describing your research interests to Professor Andrew Ellisdon at andrew.ellisdon@monash.edu.

Opportunities

A molecular diagram of a protein complex with different colored regions indicating different subunits against a black background.