Alasdair McDowall’s career started in the Pathology department of Moredun Institute, a UK veterinary research facility. He trained here in an animal pathology service and studied medical sciences specializing in histopathology. He set up and operated the early Siemens electron microscope in the department. A position in Pathology service at the Institute for Occupational Medicine brought his career into the human clinical arena of respiratory diseases where he continued his studies in medical sciences resulting in a Masters degree and Fellowship of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences (FIBMS) UK
Alasdair McDowall received his Doctorate from the University of Sorbonne Paris VI. His thesis topic was the “Ultracryomicrotomy: a structural investigation at high resolution of untreated and fully hydrated cells and tissues for electron microscopy (cryoEM)”. This thesis was enhanced by the unique discovery in 1981 when Dubochet and McDowall reported the first vitrification of water at ambient pressures as seen in the electron microscope. In the years following this landmark result, Dr. McDowall and colleagues at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) pioneered seminal research in improved low temperature instrumentation and low dose observation techniques, which evolved into modern day molecular cryo-electron microscopy and the awarding of the 2017 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Dubochet, Henderson and Frank.
In 2003 he was awarded a prestigious joint appointment as an Institute of Molecular Bioscience principal research fellow and Node manager of this premier $10M cryo-microscopy unit in Australia, specializing in high resolution biological electron microscopy. Professor McDowall has over 50 peer reviewed publications and 60 conference proceedings in the field of cell ultrastructure and has co-organised/participated in >20 research technical workshops, he has co-authored his 3rd EMBO article, vitrification and cryosectioning for cryo electron microscopy. In 2008 he returned to the USA as a director of the Beckman Foundation microscopy resource and to manage Professor Jensen’s cryoEM tomography Lab at the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena. In addition, as director of the Caltech Beckman foundation resource for electron microscopy he was successful in securing a $1.0M award, 6 year renewal, in 2013. In 2013 and 2014 he was nominated for the California Institute of Technology Thomas W. SchmittAward. He rejoined the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at Caltech in 2013, where he was responsible in the design, installation, and establishment of a new $15M cryo electron microscopy facility at Caltech.
Professor McDowall was an honored guest of the Swedish Academy of Sciences Nobel Foundation to attend the 2017 Nobel Prize Ceremonies and celebrations in recognition of his decades long contribution to cryo electron microscopy and his research partnership to Nobel Laureate Prof. Jacques Dubochet.
In recognition of Alasdair McDowall’s unique and integral contribution in the research leading to the 2017 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Prof. Jacques Dubochet, presented Professor McDowall with a Swedish Academy of Sciences Nobel Medal awarded to Prof. Dubochet.
In 2018, Vice Chancellor of the University of Queensland Prof. Peter Høj conferred the title of Professor Emeritus on Dr. McDowall.
Nominated Rotary STAR 2018: Outstanding humanitarian achievement in science and technology : Health and Medical
Appointed by HRH Queen Elizabeth II, in the 2019 Australian honours system, awarded Member (AM) of the Order of Australia.
“For significant service to science, particularly in the field of electron microscopy, his research included performing key experiments that culminated in the awarding of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry to his supervisor Professor Jacques Dubochet, and two of his colleagues, 2017”.
The Order of Australia is the pre-eminent means by which Australia recognizes the outstanding and meritorious service of its citizens. The award confers the highest recognition for outstanding achievement and service.
“Cryo-electron microscopy the science method of the year 2016 changes all of our timelines on the future of health management. Researchers can now freeze biomolecules mid-movement and visualise processes they have never previously seen, which is decisive for both the basic understanding of life's chemistry and for the development of pharmaceuticals.” Nobel Prize announcement 2017.
Dr Alasdair McDowall made the crucial experiment in the discovery of vitrification for Cryo EM. Vitrification is still the seminal first step used for preparing Cryo EM specimens for atomic imaging. Knowing the structure of a molecule reveals important information about how it functions and can provide insight into potential drug targets for fighting disease. In addition to making unprecedented advances in areas from our basic understanding of cellular processes to the development of new vaccines. Cryo EM may now routinely provide images of the atomic architecture of membrane proteins, ion channels, amino acid side chains, the building blocks of life. Providing access for designing better drugs to block, activate, and target improved therapies.
Journal Article: DEFECTIVE EMBRYO AND MERISTEMS1 (DEM1) Is Essential for Cell Proliferation and Cell Differentiation in Tomato
Matthew, Louisa, Reyes, Melquiades E. C., Mann, Christopher W. G., McDowall, Alasdair W., Eamens, Andrew L. and Carroll, Bernard J. (2022). DEFECTIVE EMBRYO AND MERISTEMS1 (DEM1) Is Essential for Cell Proliferation and Cell Differentiation in Tomato. Plants, 11 (19) 2545, 1-27. doi: 10.3390/plants11192545
Journal Article: Discovery of a novel inner membrane-associated bacterial structure related to the flagellar type III secretion system
Kaplan, Mohammed, Oikonomou, Catherine M., Wood, Cecily R., Chreifi, Georges, Ghosal, Debnath, Dobro, Megan J., Yao, Qing, Pal, Ritesh Ranjan, Baidya, Amit K., Liu, Yuxi, Maggi, Stefano, McDowall, Alasdair W., Ben-Yehuda, Sigal, Rosenshine, Ilan, Briegel, Ariane, Beeby, Morgan, Chang, Yi-Wei, Shaffer, Carrie L. and Jensen, Grant J. (2022). Discovery of a novel inner membrane-associated bacterial structure related to the flagellar type III secretion system. Journal of Bacteriology, 204 (8). doi: 10.1128/jb.00144-22
Journal Article: Loss of the bacterial flagellar motor switch complex upon cell lysis
Kaplan, Mohammed, Tocheva, Elitza I., Briegel, Ariane, Dobro, Megan J., Chang, Yi-Wei, Subramanian, Poorna, McDowall, Alasdair W., Beeby, Morgan and Jensen, Grant J. (2021). Loss of the bacterial flagellar motor switch complex upon cell lysis. mBio, 12 (3). doi: 10.1128/mbio.00298-21
3D structural biology of the human islet
(2005–2007) United States National Institutes of Health
NHMRC_Equipment Grant = Purchase of a biological transmission electron microscope (TEM)
(2005) NHMRC Equipment Grant
NHMRC_Equipment Grant =Tomography upgrade
(2005) NHMRC Equipment Grant
MOLECULAR GENETIC ANALYSIS OF THE DEFECTIVE EMBRYO AND MERISTEMS (DEM) GENE AND CLOSELY LINKED GENES IN TOMATO
(2003) Doctor Philosophy
Bacterial TEM: new insights from cryo-microscopy
Pilhofer, Martin, Landinsky, Mark S. and McDowall, Alasdiar W. (2010). Bacterial TEM: new insights from cryo-microscopy. In Thomas Müller-Reichert, Leslie Wilson and Paul Matsudaira (Ed.), Electron microscopy of model systems (pp. 21-45) Burlington, MA United States: Academic Press. doi:10.1016/S0091-679X(10)96002-0
Plunge freezing for electron cryomicroscopy
Dobro, Megan J., Melanson, Linda A., Jensen, Grant J. and McDowall, Alasdair W. (2010). Plunge freezing for electron cryomicroscopy. In Grant J. Jensen (Ed.), Cryo-EM, Part A: sample preparations and data collection (pp. 63-82) San Diege, CA, United States: Academic Press. doi:10.1016/s0076-6879(10)81003-1
Plunge freezing for electron cryomicroscopy
Dobro, Megan J., Melanson, Linda A., Jensen, Grant J. and McDowall, Alasdair W. (2010). Plunge freezing for electron cryomicroscopy. In Methods in enzymology (pp. 63-82) London, United Kingdom: Elsevier. doi:10.1016/s0076-6879(10)81003-1
Cryoelectron microscopy of vitrified specimens
Dubochet, Jacques, Adrian, Marc, Chang, Jiin-Ju, Lepault, Jean and McDowall, Alasdair W. (1987). Cryoelectron microscopy of vitrified specimens. In Rudolf Alexander Steinbrecht and Karl Zierold (Ed.), Cryotechniques in biological electron microscopy (pp. 114-131) Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer . doi:10.1007/978-3-642-72815-0_5
Cryoelectron microscopy of vitrified specimens
Dubochet, Jacques, Adrian, Marc, Chang, Jiin-Ju, Lepault, Jean and McDowall, Alasdair W. (1987). Cryoelectron microscopy of vitrified specimens. In Cryotechniques in biological electron microscopy (pp. 114-131) Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-72815-0_5
Matthew, Louisa, Reyes, Melquiades E. C., Mann, Christopher W. G., McDowall, Alasdair W., Eamens, Andrew L. and Carroll, Bernard J. (2022). DEFECTIVE EMBRYO AND MERISTEMS1 (DEM1) Is Essential for Cell Proliferation and Cell Differentiation in Tomato. Plants, 11 (19) 2545, 1-27. doi: 10.3390/plants11192545
Kaplan, Mohammed, Oikonomou, Catherine M., Wood, Cecily R., Chreifi, Georges, Ghosal, Debnath, Dobro, Megan J., Yao, Qing, Pal, Ritesh Ranjan, Baidya, Amit K., Liu, Yuxi, Maggi, Stefano, McDowall, Alasdair W., Ben-Yehuda, Sigal, Rosenshine, Ilan, Briegel, Ariane, Beeby, Morgan, Chang, Yi-Wei, Shaffer, Carrie L. and Jensen, Grant J. (2022). Discovery of a novel inner membrane-associated bacterial structure related to the flagellar type III secretion system. Journal of Bacteriology, 204 (8). doi: 10.1128/jb.00144-22
Loss of the bacterial flagellar motor switch complex upon cell lysis
Kaplan, Mohammed, Tocheva, Elitza I., Briegel, Ariane, Dobro, Megan J., Chang, Yi-Wei, Subramanian, Poorna, McDowall, Alasdair W., Beeby, Morgan and Jensen, Grant J. (2021). Loss of the bacterial flagellar motor switch complex upon cell lysis. mBio, 12 (3). doi: 10.1128/mbio.00298-21
Physical characterisation of drug encapsulated soybean oil nano-emulsions
Haidar, Iman, Harding, Ian H., Bowater, Ian C. and McDowall, Alasdair W. (2020). Physical characterisation of drug encapsulated soybean oil nano-emulsions. Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology, 55 101382, 101382. doi: 10.1016/j.jddst.2019.101382
Physical characterization of halofantrine-encapsulated fat nanoemulsions
Haidar, Iman, Harding, Ian H., Bowater, Ian C. and McDowall, Alasdair W. (2019). Physical characterization of halofantrine-encapsulated fat nanoemulsions. Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 108 (6), 2153-2161. doi: 10.1016/j.xphs.2019.01.021
Uncharacterized Bacterial Structures Revealed by Electron Cryotomography
Dobro, Megan J., Oikonomou, Catherine M., Piper, Aidan, Cohen, John, Guo, Kylie, Jensen, Taylor, Tadayon, Jahan, Donermeyer, Joseph, Park, Yeram, Solis, Benjamin A., Kjaer, Andreas, Jewett, Andrew I., McDowall, Alasdair W., Chen, Songye, Chang, Yi-Wei, Shi, Jian, Subramanian, Poorna, Iancu, Cristina V., Li, Zhuo, Briegel, Ariane, Tocheva, Elitza I., Pilhofer, Martin and Jensen, Grant J. (2017). Uncharacterized Bacterial Structures Revealed by Electron Cryotomography. Journal of Bacteriology, 199 (17). doi: 10.1128/jb.00100-17
Broadly neutralizing antibody 8ANC195 recognizes closed and open states of HIV-1 Env
Scharf, Louise, Wang, Haoqing, Gao, Han, Chen, Songye, McDowall, Alasdair W. and Bjorkman, Pamela J. (2015). Broadly neutralizing antibody 8ANC195 recognizes closed and open states of HIV-1 Env. Cell, 162 (6), 1379-1390. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2015.08.035
Ultrastructure and complex polar architecture of the human pathogen Campylobacter jejuni
Mueller, Axel, Beeby, Morgan, McDowall, Alasdair W., Chow, Janet, Jensen, Grant J. and Clemons, William M. (2014). Ultrastructure and complex polar architecture of the human pathogen Campylobacter jejuni. MicrobiologyOpen, 3 (5), 702-710. doi: 10.1002/mbo3.200
Pilhofer, Martin, Ladinsky, Mark S., McDowall, Alasdair W., Petroni, Giulio and Jensen, Grant J. (2011). Microtubules in bacteria: ancient tubulins build a five-protofilament homolog of the eukaryotic cytoskeleton. Plos Biology, 9 (12). doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1001213
Amyloid formation from an α-helical peptide bundle is seeded by 310-helix aggregates
Singh, Yogendra, Sharpe, Philip C., Hoang, Huy N., Lucke, Andrew J., McDowall, Alasdair W., Bottomley, Stephen P. and Fairlie, David P. (2011). Amyloid formation from an α-helical peptide bundle is seeded by 310-helix aggregates. Chemistry: A European Journal, 17 (1), 151-160. doi: 10.1002/chem.201002500
Electron cryotomography of bacterial cells
Chen, Songye, Mcdowall, Alasdair, Dobro, Megan J., Briegel, Ariane, Ladinsky, Mark, Shi, Jian, Tocheva, Elitza I., Beeby, Morgan, Pilhofer, Martin, Ding, H. Jane, Li, Zhuo, Gan, Lu, Morris, Dylan M. and Jensen, Grant J. (2010). Electron cryotomography of bacterial cells. Journal of Visualized Experiments (39) e1943. doi: 10.3791/1943
Bacillus horneckiae sp. nov., isolated from a spacecraft-assembly clean room
Vaishampayan, Parag, Probst, Alexander, Krishnamurthi, Srinivasan, Ghosh, Sudeshna, Osman, Shariff, McDowall, Alasdair, Ruckmani, Arunachalam, Mayilraj, Shanmugam and Venkateswaran, Kasthuri (2010). Bacillus horneckiae sp. nov., isolated from a spacecraft-assembly clean room. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 60 (5), 1031-1037. doi: 10.1099/ijs.0.008979-0
Wormlike micelles from a cage amine metallosurfactant
Koutsantonis, George ., Nealon, Gareth L., Buckley, Craig E., Paskevicius, Mark, Douce, Laurent, Harrowfield, Jack M. and McDowall, Alasdair W. (2007). Wormlike micelles from a cage amine metallosurfactant. Langmuir, 23 (24), 11986-11990. doi: 10.1021/la701283b
Wormlike micelles from a cage amine metallosurfactant
Koutsantonis, George A., Nealon, Gareth L., Buckley, Craig E., Paskevicius, Mark, Douce, Laurent, Harrowfield, Jack M. and McDowall, Alasdair W. (2007). Wormlike micelles from a cage amine metallosurfactant. Langmuir, 23 (24), 11986-11990. doi: 10.1021/la701283b
Ultrastructure of photosynthesis in green algae mutants
Foo, A.F.W., Hankamer, B.D., Mussgnug, J.H., Rupprecht, J., Kruse, O. and McDowall, A.W. (2007) Ultrastructure of photosynthesis in green algae mutants. Microscopy and Microanalysis, 13 S02: 2-3. doi:10.1017/s1431927607072959
Engineering photosynthetic light capture: Impacts on improved solar energy to biomass conversion
Mussgnug, Jan H., Thomas-Hall, Skye, Rupprecht, Jens, Foo, Alexander, Klassen, Viktor, McDowall, Alasdair, Schenk, Peer M., Kruse, Olaf and Hankamer, Ben (2007). Engineering photosynthetic light capture: Impacts on improved solar energy to biomass conversion. Plant Biotechnology Journal, 5 (6), 802-814. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-7652.2007.00285.x
SwarmPS: Rapid, semi-automated single particle selection software
Woolford, D. S., Ericksson, G. B., Rothnagel, R., Muller, D., Landsberg, M. J., Pantelic, R., McDowall, A. W., Pailthorpe, B., Young, P. R., Hankamer, B. and Banks, J. (2007). SwarmPS: Rapid, semi-automated single particle selection software. Journal of Structural Biology, 157 (1), 174-188. doi: 10.1016/j.jsb.2006.04.006
The discriminative bilateral filter: An enhanced denoising filter for electron microscopy data
Pantelic, R. S., Rothnagel, A. R., Huang, C. Y., Muller, D. A., Woolford, D., Landsberg, M. J., McDowall, A. W., Pailthorpe, B., Young, P. R., Banks, J. E., Hankamer, B. and Ericksson, G. B. (2006). The discriminative bilateral filter: An enhanced denoising filter for electron microscopy data. Journal Of Structural Biology, 155 (3), 395-408. doi: 10.1016/j.jsb.2006.03.030
Electron microscopy of “The Green Yeast”
Foo, A.F.W., Hankamer, B.D., Rupprecht, J., Kruse, O. and McDowall, A.W. (2006). Electron microscopy of “The Green Yeast”. Microscopy and Microanalysis, 12 (S02), 446-447. doi: 10.1017/s1431927606062465
A global role for EKLF in definitive and primitive erythropoiesis
Hodge, Denise, Coghill, Elise, Keys, Janelle, Maguire, Tina, Hartmann, Belinda, McDowall, Alasdair, Weiss, Mitchell, Grimmond, Sean and Perkins, Andrew C. (2006). A global role for EKLF in definitive and primitive erythropoiesis. Blood, 107 (8), 3359-3370. doi: 10.1182/blood-2005-07-2888
A global role for EKLF in definitive and primitive erythropoiesis
Perkins, Andrew C., Coghill, Elise, Maguire, Tina, Hartmann, Belinda, McDowall, Alasdair, Weiss, Mitchell, Grimmond, Sean, Keys, Janelle and Hodge, Denise (2005). A global role for EKLF in definitive and primitive erythropoiesis. Blood, 106 (11), 1745-1745. doi: 10.1182/blood.v106.11.1745.1745
Building a research vision: a visible cell takes shape
McDowall, A., Hankamer, B., Rupprecht, J. and Marsh, B. (2005). Building a research vision: a visible cell takes shape. Microscopy and Microanalysis, 11 (S02), 274-275. doi: 10.1017/s1431927605500369
Cryo-electron microscopy of vitreous sections
Al-Amoudi, Ashraf, Chang, Jiin-Ju, Leforestier, Amélie, McDowall, Alasdair, Salamin, Laurée Michel, Norlén, Lars P. O., Richter, Karsten, Blanc, Nathalie Sartori, Studer, Daniel and Dubochet, Jacques (2004). Cryo-electron microscopy of vitreous sections. EMBO Journal, 23 (18), 3583-3588. doi: 10.1038/sj.emboj.7600366
CyberSTEM: Telepresence Microscopy from Australia
Waddell, D. J., Drennan, J. and McDowall, A. W. (2000). CyberSTEM: Telepresence Microscopy from Australia. Proceedings of Royal Microscopy Society, 35 (2), 157-162.
The transmembrane protein p23 contributes to the organization of the Golgi apparatus
Rojo, M., Emery, G., Marjomaki, V., McDowall, A. W., Parton, R. G. and Gruenberg, J. (2000). The transmembrane protein p23 contributes to the organization of the Golgi apparatus. Journal of Cell Science, 113 (Pt 6), 1043-1057.
Bex, F., McDowall, A., Burny, A. and Gaynor, R. (1997). The human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 transactivator protein Tax colocalizes in unique nuclear structures with NF-kappaB proteins. Journal of Virology, 71 (5), 3484-3497. doi: 10.1128/jvi.71.5.3484-3497.1997
Wilson, S.E., He, Y.G., Weng, J., Li, Q., McDowall, A.W., Vital, M. and Chwang, E.L. (1996) Epithelial injury induces keratocyte apoptosis: hypothesized role for the interleukin-1 system in the modulation of corneal tissue organization and wound healing. Experimental Eye Research, 62 4: 325-337. doi:10.1006/exer.1996.0038
Cytoarchitecture of size-excluding compartments in living cells
Provance, D.W., McDowall, A., Marko, M. and Lubyphelps, K. (1993) Cytoarchitecture of size-excluding compartments in living cells. Journal of Cell Science, 106 565-578.
Cytoarchitecture of size-excluding compartments in living cells
Provance Jr, D. W., McDowall, A., Marko, M. and Luby-Phelps, K. (1993) Cytoarchitecture of size-excluding compartments in living cells. Journal of Cell Science, 106 2: 565-577.
Weaver, Arthur J., McDowall, Alasdair W., Oliver, Donald B. and Deisenhofer, Johann (1992) Electron microscopy of thin-sectioned three-dimensional crystals of SecA protein from Escherichia coli: structure in projection at 40 Å resolution. Journal of Structural Biology, 109 2: 87-96. doi:10.1016/1047-8477(92)90040-h
The outer-membrane, not a coat of host proteins, limits antigenicity of virulent Treponema-pallidum
Cox, D.L., Chang, P., McDowall, A.W. and Radolf, J.D. (1992). The outer-membrane, not a coat of host proteins, limits antigenicity of virulent Treponema-pallidum. Infection and Immunity, 60 (3), 1076-1083. doi: 10.1128/iai.60.3.1076-1083.1992
Association of kinesin with characterized membrane‐bounded organelles
Leopold, Philip L., McDowall, A. W., Pfister, K. Kevin , Bloom, George S. and Brady, Scott T. (1992) Association of kinesin with characterized membrane‐bounded organelles. Cell Motility and the Cytoskeleton, 23 1: 19-33. doi:10.1002/cm.970230104
The outer membrane, not a coat of host proteins, limits antigenicity of virulent Treponema pallidum
Cox, D. L., Chang, P., McDowall, A. W. and Radolf, J. D. (1992) The outer membrane, not a coat of host proteins, limits antigenicity of virulent Treponema pallidum. Infection and Immunity, 60 3: 1076-1083.
Cellular location of thymus-leukemia (TL) antigen as shown by immuno-cryoultramicrotomy
Hartfield, Cheryl, McDowall, Alasdair, Loveland, Bruce and Lindahl, Kirsten Fischer (1991). Cellular location of thymus-leukemia (TL) antigen as shown by immuno-cryoultramicrotomy. Journal of Electron Microscopy Technique, 18 (2), 148-156. doi: 10.1002/jemt.1060180209
Cryofixation and ultra-low-temperature freeze-drying as a preparative technique for TEM
Livesey, S. A., Campo, A. A., McDowall, A. W. and Stasny, J. T. (1991). Cryofixation and ultra-low-temperature freeze-drying as a preparative technique for TEM. Journal of Microscopy, 161 (2), 205-215. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2818.1991.tb03084.x
Brusca, J. S., McDowall, A. W., Norgard, M. V. and Radolf, J. D. (1991). Localization of outer surface proteins A and B in both the outer membrane and intracellular compartments of Borrelia burgdorferi. Journal of Bacteriology, 173 (24), 8004-8008. doi: 10.1128/jb.173.24.8004-8008.1991
McDowall, Alasdair and Griffiths, Gareth (1990) Hydrated cryo-section studies of endocytic structures in cells containing internalized gold markers imaged by TEM. Proceedings, Annual Meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America, 48 3: 950-951. doi:10.1017/s0424820100162314
Immunocytochemical localization of thymus-leukemia (TL) antigen on cryosections of thymocytes
Hartfield, Cheryl, Loveland, Bruce, McDowall, Alasdair and Fischer Lindahl, Kirsten (1990) Immunocytochemical localization of thymus-leukemia (TL) antigen on cryosections of thymocytes. Proceedings, Annual Meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America, 48 3: 372-373. doi:10.1017/s0424820100159400
McCammon, K., Segal, M., Sambrook, J., Gething, M. J. and McDowall, A. (1989) Immunolocalization of the intracellular sites of accumulation of mutant influenza hemagglutinins by Electron Microscopy. Proceedings, Annual Meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America, 47 968-969. doi:10.1017/s0424820100156821
Trus, B.L., Steven, A.C., McDowall, A.W., Unser, M., Dubochet, J. and Podolsky, R.J. (1989). Interactions between actin and myosin filaments in skeletal muscle visualized in frozen-hydrated thin sections. Biophysical Journal, 55 (4), 713-724. doi: 10.1016/s0006-3495(89)82870-x
Nucleolar and nuclear-envelope proteins of the yeast saccharomyces-cerevisiae
Hurt, E.C., McDowall, A. and Schimmang, T. (1988) Nucleolar and nuclear-envelope proteins of the yeast saccharomyces-cerevisiae. European Journal of Cell Biology, 46 3: 554-563.
Cryo-electron microscopy of vitrified specimens
Dubochet, Jacques, Adrian, Marc, Chang, Jiin-Ju, Homo, Jean-Claude, Lepault, Jean, McDowall, Alasdair W. and Schultz, Patrick (1988) Cryo-electron microscopy of vitrified specimens. Quarterly Reviews of Biophysics, 21 2: 129-228. doi:10.1017/s0033583500004297
Nucleolar and nuclear envelope proteins of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Hurt, E. C., McDowall, A. and Schimmang, T. (1988) Nucleolar and nuclear envelope proteins of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. European Journal of Cell Biology, 46 3: 554-563.
Gautier, A., Michel-Salamin, L., Tosi-Couture, E., McDowall, A.W. and Dubochet, J. (1986) Electron microscopy of the chromosomes of dinoflagellates in situ: confirmation of Bouligand's liquid crystal hypothesis. Journal of Ultrastructure and Molecular Structure Research, 97 1-3: 10-30. doi:10.1016/s0889-1605(86)80003-9
Steven, A.C., Trus, B.L., Unser, M., McDowall, A.W., Dubochet, J. and Podolsky, R.J. (1986) Myofilament lattice of vertebrate skeletal muscle visualized by correlation averaging of frozen hydrated thin sections. Proceedings, Annual Meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America, 44 108-109. doi:10.1017/s0424820100142189
Cryo-electron microscopy of vitrified chromosomes in situ
McDowall, A.W., Smith, J.M. and Dubochet, J. (1986). Cryo-electron microscopy of vitrified chromosomes in situ. The EMBO Journal, 5 (6), 1395-1402. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1986.tb04373.x
Emerging techniques: Cryo-electron microscopy of vitrified biological specimens
Dubochet, J., Adrian, M., Lepault, J. and McDowall, A.W. (1985). Emerging techniques: Cryo-electron microscopy of vitrified biological specimens. Trends in Biochemical Sciences, 10 (4), 143-146. doi: 10.1016/0968-0004(85)90150-1
Cryo-electron microscopy of vitrified insect flight muscle
McDowall, A.W., Hofmann, W., Lepault, J., Adrian, M. and Dubochet, J. (1984) Cryo-electron microscopy of vitrified insect flight muscle. Journal of Molecular Biology, 178 1: 105-111. doi:10.1016/0022-2836(84)90233-x
Cryo-electron microscopy of viruses
Adrian, Marc, Dubochet, Jacques, Lepault, Jean and McDowall, Alasdair W. (1984). Cryo-electron microscopy of viruses. Nature, 308 (5954), 32-36. doi: 10.1038/308032a0
On the preparation of cryosections for immunocytochemistry
Griffiths, Gareth, McDowall, Alasdair, Back, Ruth and Dubochet, Jacques (1984) On the preparation of cryosections for immunocytochemistry. Journal of Ultrastructure Research, 89 1: 65-78. doi:10.1016/s0022-5320(84)80024-6
Electron microscopy of frozen-hydrated bacteria
Dubochet, J., McDowall, A. W., Menge, B., Schmid, E. N. and Lickfeld, K. G. (1983) Electron microscopy of frozen-hydrated bacteria. Journal of Bacteriology, 155 1: 381-390.
Electron microscopy of frozen-hydrated bacteria
Dubochet, J., McDowall, A. W., Menge, B., Schmid, E.N. and Lickfeld, K.G. (1983). Electron microscopy of frozen-hydrated bacteria. Journal of Bacteriology, 155 (1), 381-390. doi: 10.1128/JB.155.1.381-390.1983
Electron-microscopy of frozen hydrated sections of vitreous ice and vitrified biological samples
McDowall, A.W., Chang, J.J., Freeman, R., Lepault, J., Walter, C.A. and Dubochet, J. (1983). Electron-microscopy of frozen hydrated sections of vitreous ice and vitrified biological samples. Journal of Microscopy, 131 (JUL), 1-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2818.1983.tb04225.x
Freezing, sectioning and observation artefacts of frozen hydrated sections for electron microscopy
Chang, J.J., McDowall, A. W., Lepault, J., Freeman, R., Walter, C.A. and Dubochet, J. (1983). Freezing, sectioning and observation artefacts of frozen hydrated sections for electron microscopy. Journal of Microscopy, 132 (OCT), 109-123. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2818.1983.tb04714.x
Francke, C., Edström, J. E., McDowall, A. W. and Miller, O. L. (1982) Electron microscopic visualization of a discrete class of giant translation units in salivary gland cells of Chironomus tentans. The EMBO journal, 1 1: 59-62.
Francke, C., Edstrom, J.E., McDowall, A.W. and Miller, O.L. (1982). Electron-microscopic visualization of a discrete class of giant translation units in salivary-gland cells of chironomus-tentans. EMBO Journal, 1 (1), 59-62. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1982.tb01124.x
Dubochet, J., Chang, J.-J., Freeman, R., Lepault, J. and McDowall, A.W. (1982). Frozen aqueous suspensions. Ultramicroscopy, 10 (1-2), 55-61. doi: 10.1016/0304-3991(82)90187-5
Dubochet, J., Chang, J.-J., Freeman, R., Lepault, J. and McDowall, A.W. (1982). Frozen aqueous suspensions. Ultramicroscopy, 10 (1-2), 55-61. doi: 10.1016/0304-3991(82)90187-5
Vitrification of pure water for electron microscopy
Dubochet, J. and McDowall, A.W. (1981) Vitrification of pure water for electron microscopy. Journal of Microscopy, 124 DEC: RP3-RP4.
Intercellular junctions in nerve-free hydra
Lepault, J., McDowall, A.W. and Grimmelikhuijzen, C.J.P. (1980). Intercellular junctions in nerve-free hydra. Cell and Tissue Research, 209 (2), 217-224. doi: 10.1007/bf00237627
Ultrastructure of photosynthesis in green algae mutants
Foo, A. F. W., Hankamer, B. D., Mussgnug, J. H., Rupprecht, J., Kruse, O. and McDowall, A. W. (2007). Ultrastructure of photosynthesis in green algae mutants. In: Microscopy and Microanalysis 2007, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, United States, (2-3). 5 – 9 August 2007. doi:10.1017/S1431927607072959
Electron microscopy of "The green yeast"
Foo, A. F. W., Hankamer, B. D., Rupprecht, J., Kruse, O. and McDowall, A. W. (2006). Electron microscopy of "The green yeast". Microscopy and Microanalysis 2006 , Chicago, Il United States, 30 July – 3 August 2006. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. doi: 10.1017/S1431927606062465
A global role for EKLF in definitive and primitive erythropoiesis
Perkins, Andrew C., Coghill, Elise, Maguire, Tina, Hartmann, Belinda, McDowall, Alasdair, Weiss, Mitchell, Grimmond, Sean, Keys, Janelle and Hodge, Denise (2005). A global role for EKLF in definitive and primitive erythropoiesis. 47th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting, New Orleans, USA, 3-6 December 2005. Washington, D.C., USA: American Society of Hematology.
Submicron dispersions of hexosomes based on novel glycerate surfactants
Fong, C., Krodkiewska, I., Wells, D., Boyd, B. J., Booth, J., Bhargava, S., McDowall, A. and Hartley, P. G. (2005). Submicron dispersions of hexosomes based on novel glycerate surfactants. Australia: CSIRO. doi: 10.1071/CH05173
Cryo-electron microscopy of vitreous sections
Dubochet, J., Al-Amoudi, A., Studer, D. and McDowall, A. W. (2002). Cryo-electron microscopy of vitreous sections. 17th Australian Conference on Electron Microscopy, Adelaide, South Australia, February 4-8, 2002.
Cryo-electron microscopy of vitreous sections: Cell ultrastructure revisited
Dubochet, J. and McDowall, A. W. (2002). Cryo-electron microscopy of vitreous sections: Cell ultrastructure revisited. Biophysical Society Discussions: The Structure of large biolos, Asilomar, California, April 19-22, 2002.
NANO, Queensland and cryo-electron microscopy
McDowall, A. W. (2002). NANO, Queensland and cryo-electron microscopy. 17th Australian Conference on Electron Microscopy, Adelaide, South Australia, February 4-8, 2002.
A cryo-electron facility for sub-tropical Southeast Queensland
McDowall, A. W. (2000). A cryo-electron facility for sub-tropical Southeast Queensland. 7th Asia-Pacific Electron Microscopy Conference, Life Sciences, Singapore, June 2000.
Establishing a cryo-electron facility in sub-tropical Queensland
McDowall, A. W. and Ghoddusi, M. (2000). Establishing a cryo-electron facility in sub-tropical Queensland. 15th Australian Conference on Electron Microscopy, Canberra, Australia, February 2000. Australian Society for Electron Microscopy.
Reyes, M., Matthew, L., Waldron, J., Brosnan, C., Brown, S., McDowall, A. and Carroll, B. J. (2000). Somatic mutagenesis reveals multiple roles for the Defective embryo and meristems (Dem) gene in plant development. The Asia Pacific Conference on Plant Tissue Culture and Agribiotech 2000, Singapore, 19 - 23 November 2000. Singapore: Singapore National Academy of Sciences.
Ghoddusi, M., McDowall, A. W., Webb, R. I., Townsend, K. M. and Frost, A. J. (2000). Ultrastructure of Pasturella multicoda using conventional freeze-substitution and cryo-electron microscopy techniques.. 15th Australian Conference for Electron Microscopy, Canberra, Australia, February 2000. Australian Society for Electron Microscopy.
A key role for the Defective Embryo and Meristems (DEM) gene in leaf development
Matthew, L., Reyes, M., Waldron, J., McDowall, A. W., Brown, S., Keddie, J. S. and Carroll, B. J. (1999). A key role for the Defective Embryo and Meristems (DEM) gene in leaf development. ComBio 99, Conrad Jupiter Casino, Gold Coast, 27-30 September, 1999. Kent Town, SA: Aust. Society for Biochemistry & Molecular Biology.
Bex, F., McDowall, A. W., Nizet, S., Gaynor, R. and Burny, A. (1999). Activation of gene expression by the human T-cell leukemia virus transactivator tax occurs in unique nuclear structures. EMBO Workshop, Prague, 9-12 Aug 1999. EMBO.
Bailey, Mark J., McDowall, Alasdair and Dickinson, Ronald G. (1999). Microtubules from zomepirac acyl glucuronide modified microtubular protein - electron microscopy studies. In: Abstracts of the Scientific Meeting of ASCEPT. 33rd Annual Scientific Meeting of ASCEPT, Sydney, NSW Australia, (150-150). 4 - 8 December 1999.
Molecular and anatomical analysis of cell expansion and differentiation in plants
Reyes, M., McDowall, A. W., Ghoddusi, M., Brown, S., Godwin, I. D., Keddie, J. S. and Carroll, B. J. (1999). Molecular and anatomical analysis of cell expansion and differentiation in plants. In: Plant and Animal Genome Conference VII. Plant and Animal Conference VII, Town and Country Hotel, San Diego, California, (90). 17 -21 January 1999.
One perspective on 25 years of cryo-electron microscopy
McDowall, A. W. (1999). One perspective on 25 years of cryo-electron microscopy. 20th New Zealand Microscopy Conference, New Zealand, 11 February 1999. Rotorua, N.Z.: Forest Research.
Immuno-electron microscopy of a key gene product involved in cell expansion in plants
McDowall, A.W., Ghoddusi, M., Reyes, M.E.C., Keddie, J.S., Southerton, S.G., Goodwin, I.D., Jones, J.G.D. and Carroll, B.J. (1998). Immuno-electron microscopy of a key gene product involved in cell expansion in plants. 14th International Congress on Electron Microscopy, Cancun, Mexico, 31 August-4 September 1998. Bristol, United Kingdom: IOP Publishing.
Bex, F., McDowall, A., Liljeström, P., Burny, A. and Gaynor, R. (1995). The Tax transactivation protein of human T-cell leukemia virus type I colocalizes with NF-κB proteins in nuclear bodies. XXI Meeting of the European Tumor Virus Group, *, 1995. Heidelberg, Germany: Springer . doi: 10.1007/bf02559871
Inter-filament interactions in muscle visualized in frozen-hydrated thin-sections
Trus, B.L., McDowall, A., Dubochet, J., Unser, M., Podolsky, R.J. and Steven, A.C. (1988). Inter-filament interactions in muscle visualized in frozen-hydrated thin-sections. In: , , (A62-A62). .
Cryoultramicrotomy: Study of ice crystals and freezing damage
McDowall, Alasdair W. and Dubochet, J. I. (1984). Cryoultramicrotomy: Study of ice crystals and freezing damage. In: 8th European Congress on Electron Microscopy, Budapest, Hungary, (). August 13-18, 1984.
Frozen-hydrated specimens for high-resolution electron-microscopy
Dubochet, J., McDowall, A.W. and Lepault, J. (1982). Frozen-hydrated specimens for high-resolution electron-microscopy. In: , , (456-456). .
The preparation and observation of frozen hydrated biological samples
Freeman, R., Chang, J.J., McDowall, A.W. and Walter, C.A. (1982). The preparation and observation of frozen hydrated biological samples. In: , , (91-92). .
3D structural biology of the human islet
(2005–2007) United States National Institutes of Health
NHMRC_Equipment Grant = Purchase of a biological transmission electron microscope (TEM)
(2005) NHMRC Equipment Grant
NHMRC_Equipment Grant =Tomography upgrade
(2005) NHMRC Equipment Grant
High resolution single particle analysis of biological macromolecules
(2004–2006) ARC Discovery Projects
High Resolution Structural Analysis of Macromolecules by Cryo-electron Microscopy.
(2000) UQ Foundation
To learn current concepts and technological developments in cryoelectron microscopal imaging
(2000) UQ Travel Grants Scheme
The key role of starch metabolism in plant cell expansion and differentiation
(1999) ARC Australian Research Council (Small grants)
(1997) University of Queensland New Staff Research Grant
MOLECULAR GENETIC ANALYSIS OF THE DEFECTIVE EMBRYO AND MERISTEMS (DEM) GENE AND CLOSELY LINKED GENES IN TOMATO
(2003) Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors: