Dr Wojciech Kopec

Lecturer in Computational Pharmaceutical Chemistry
School of Physical and Chemical Sciences
Queen Mary University of London
Queen Mary University of London
Research
Molecular Dynamics, Ion Channels, Drug Design, Computational Electrophysiology, Membranes, Free Energy Calculations
Interests
I use physics-based numerical models to understand the dynamic behavior, on the atomistic scale, of complex molecular machines - proteins, membranes and synthetic molecules. In particular, I use Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations and related methods to gain an unfiltered view into physics of processes happening at the interfaces of biological cells and their synthetic counterparts. Such an approach is often referred to as ‘computational microscope’, and I am using it to peek into and discover novel mechanisms governing biological processes, with an overarching goal of exploiting them in the future to solve major issues we are facing as a society - either in medicinal or environmental science.I am currently focused on computational studies of transport phenomena across biological and synthetic membranes. In our bodies, these processes are controlled by specialized proteins - ion channels and transporters. Malfunctions of those proteins often lead to diseases, and it is estimated 15-20% of current drugs target ion channels. Moreover, a precise manipulation of such proteins by light or soundwaves, in approaches such as optogenetics and sonogenetics, can be exploited to control specific circuits in the brain.
Publications

2024

Mendez-Otalvaro E, Kopec W and de Groot BL
Biophysical Journal, Elsevier vol. 123 (19), 3408-3420.
19-08-2024

Gapsys V, Kopec W, Matthes D and de Groot BL
Current Opinion in Structural Biology, Elsevier vol. 88
18-07-2024

Mironenko A, de Groot BL and Kopec W
Pnas Nexus, Oxford University Press (Oup) vol. 3 (7)
28-06-2024
2023

Kopec W, Thomson AS, de Groot BL and Rothberg BS
The Journal of General Physiology, Rockefeller University Press vol. 155 (8)
15-06-2023

Hui C, Kopec W and de Groot BL
Biophysical Journal, Elsevier vol. 122 (3)
01-02-2023

de Vries R, Kopec W and de Groot BL
Biophysical Journal, Elsevier vol. 122 (3)
01-02-2023

Otalvaro EFM, Kopec W and de Groot BL
Biophysical Journal, Elsevier vol. 122 (3)
01-02-2023

Shehata M, Kopec W, de Groot BL and Amaro RE
Biophysical Journal, Elsevier vol. 122 (3)
01-02-2023
2022

Öster C, Movellan KT, Goold B, Hendriks K, Lange S, Becker S, de Groot BL, Kopec W, Andreas LB and Lange A
Journal of The American Chemical Society, American Chemical Society (Acs) vol. 144 (9), 4147-4157.
24-02-2022
2021

Mironenko A, Zachariae U, de Groot BL and Kopec W
Journal of Molecular Biology, Elsevier vol. 433 (17)
20-04-2021

Roy RN, Hendriks K, Kopec W, Abdolvand S, Weiss KL, de Groot BL, Lange A, Sun H and Coates L
Iucrj, International Union of Crystallography (Iucr) vol. 8 (Pt 3), 421-430.
02-04-2021

Schewe M, Riel EB, Rinné S, Kopec W, Langer J, Lindemann P, Jürs BC, Nazaré M, de Groot BL, Decher N and Baukrowitz T
Biophysical Journal, Elsevier vol. 120 (3)
01-02-2021

Kopec W, Mironenko A, Goold B and de Groot BL
Biophysical Journal, Elsevier vol. 120 (3)
01-02-2021

Mironenko A, de Groot BL and Kopec W
Biophysical Journal, Elsevier vol. 120 (3)
01-02-2021
2020

Kopec W, Żak A, Jamróz D, Nakahata R, Yusa S-I, Gapsys V and Kepczynski M
Langmuir, American Chemical Society (Acs) vol. 36 (42), 12435-12450.
15-10-2020

Schubeis T, Le Marchand T, Daday C, Kopec W, Tekwani Movellan K, Stanek J, Schwarzer TS, Castiglione K, de Groot BL, Pintacuda G and Andreas LB
Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences of The United States of America, Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences vol. 117 (35), 21014-21021.
19-08-2020

Langan PS, Vandavasi VG, Kopec W, Sullivan B, Afonne PV, Weiss KL, de Groot BL and Coates L
Iucrj, International Union of Crystallography (Iucr) vol. 7 (Pt 5), 835-843.
25-07-2020

Daday C, Kopec W and de Groot BL
Biophysical Journal, Elsevier vol. 118 (3)
01-02-2020
2019

Kopec W, Rothberg BS and de Groot BL
Nature Communications, Springer Nature vol. 10 (1)
26-11-2019

Öster C, Hendriks K, Kopec W, Chevelkov V, Shi C, Michl D, Lange S, Sun H, de Groot BL and Lange A
Science Advances, American Association For The Advancement of Science (Aaas) vol. 5 (7)
05-07-2019

Kopec W and de Groot BL
Biophysical Journal, Elsevier vol. 116 (3)
01-02-2019
2018

Cordeiro S, Finol-Urdaneta RK, Köpfer D, Markushina A, Song J, French RJ, Kopec W, de Groot BL, Giacobassi MJ, Leavitt LS, Raghuraman S, Teichert RW, Olivera BM and Terlau H
Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences of The United States of America, Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences vol. 116 (3), 1059-1064.
28-12-2018

Awasthi N, Kopec W, Wilkosz N, Jamróz D, Hub JS, Zatorska M, Petka R, Nowakowska M and Kepczynski M
Acs Biomaterials Science & Engineering, American Chemical Society (Acs) vol. 5 (2), 780-794.
03-12-2018

Dubey V, Han M, Kopec W, Solov’yov IA, Abe K and Khandelia H
Scientific Reports, Springer Nature vol. 8 (1)
24-08-2018

Kopec W, Köpfer DA, Vickery ON, Bondarenko AS, Jansen TLC, de Groot BL and Zachariae U
Nature Chemistry, Springer Nature vol. 10 (8), 813-820.
20-07-2018

Heinz LP, Kopec W, de Groot BL and Fink RHA
Scientific Reports, Springer Nature vol. 8 (1)
02-05-2018

Tranebjærg L, Strenzke N, Lindholm S, Rendtorff ND, Poulsen H, Khandelia H, Kopec W, Lyngbye TJB, Hamel C, Delettre C, Bocquet B, Bille M, Owen HH, Bek T, Jensen H, Østergaard K, Möller C, Luxon L, Carr L, Wilson L, et al.
Human Genetics, Springer Nature vol. 137 (3), 279-280.
12-02-2018

Tranebjærg L, Strenzke N, Lindholm S, Rendtorff ND, Poulsen H, Khandelia H, Kopec W, Lyngbye TJB, Hamel C, Delettre C, Bocquet B, Bille M, Owen HH, Bek T, Jensen H, Østergaard K, Möller C, Luxon L, Carr L, Wilson L, et al.
Human Genetics, Springer Nature vol. 137 (2), 111-127.
05-01-2018
2017

Wilkosz N, Jamróz D, Kopeć W, Nakai K, Yusa S-I, Wytrwal-Sarna M, Bednar J, Nowakowska M and Kepczynski M
The Journal of Physical Chemistry B, American Chemical Society (Acs) vol. 121 (30), 7318-7326.
19-07-2017

Kopec W and de Groot B
Biophysical Journal, Elsevier vol. 112 (3)
01-02-2017

Han M, Kopeć W, Solov’yov IA and Khandelia H
Biophysical Journal, Elsevier vol. 112 (3)
01-02-2017

Han M, Kopec W, Solov’yov IA and Khandelia H
Scientific Reports, Springer Nature vol. 7 (1)
13-01-2017
2016

Hilbers F, Kopec W, Isaksen TJ, Holm TH, Lykke-Hartmann K, Nissen P, Khandelia H and Poulsen H
Scientific Reports, Springer Nature vol. 6 (1)
05-02-2016

Sahoo SK, Shaikh SA, Sopariwala DH, Bal NC, Bruhn DS, Kopec W, Khandelia H and Periasamy M
Biophysical Journal, Elsevier vol. 110 (3), 367a-368a.
01-02-2016
2015

Garcia A, Eljack ND, Sani M-A, Separovic F, Rasmussen HH, Kopec W, Khandelia H, Cornelius F and Clarke RJ
Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta, Elsevier vol. 1848 (10), 2430-2436.
30-07-2015

Sahoo SK, Shaikh SA, Sopariwala DH, Bal NC, Bruhn DS, Kopec W, Khandelia H and Periasamy M
Journal of Biological Chemistry, Elsevier vol. 290 (22), 14057-14067.
16-04-2015
2014

Mahmmoud YA, Kopec W and Khandelia H
Journal of Biological Chemistry, Elsevier vol. 290 (6), 3720-3731.
22-12-2014

Loubet B, Kopec W and Khandelia H
Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation, American Chemical Society (Acs) vol. 10 (12), 5690-5695.
07-11-2014

Chaban VV, Nielsen MB, Kopec W and Khandelia H
Chemistry and Physics of Lipids, Elsevier vol. 181, 76-82.
13-04-2014

Kopec W and Khandelia H
Journal of Computer-Aided Molecular Design, Springer Nature vol. 28 (2), 123-134.
01-02-2014

Kopec W, Loubet B, Poulsen H and Khandelia H
Biochemistry, American Chemical Society (Acs) vol. 53 (4), 746-754.
24-01-2014

Kopec W, Loubet B and Khandelia H
Biophysical Journal, Elsevier vol. 106 (2)
01-01-2014

Kopec W, Loubet B, Poulsen H and Khandelia H
Biophysical Journal, Elsevier vol. 106 (2), 582a-583a.
01-01-2014

Loubet B, Kopec W and Khandelia H
Biophysical Journal, Elsevier vol. 106 (2)
01-01-2014
2013

Kopeć W, Telenius J and Khandelia H
The Febs Journal, Wiley vol. 280 (12), 2785-2805.
16-05-2013

Hermetter A, Kopec W and Khandelia H
Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta, Elsevier vol. 1828 (8), 1700-1706.
06-04-2013
Grants


Wojciech Kopec
£18,000 Janssen Pharmaceutica (Belg)
01-10-2024 - 30-09-2028

Wojciech Kopec
£27,574 Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP)
01-01-2024 - 31-12-2024