James Raftery
Papers
2
Total Citations
136
H-Index
2
About
James Raftery is a structural biologist whose work bridges chemistry, crystallography, and biophysics to solve fundamental puzzles in molecular architecture. His research centers on the structural chemistry of biological colouration and the development of innovative methods for high-throughput protein crystallography. Raftery’s landmark 2003 review on the lobster shell colouration mechanism—cited nearly 100 times—integrates biochemistry, spectroscopy, solution X-ray scattering, and microscopy to unravel the molecular basis of a phenomenon that has intrigued scientists for over half a century. This work exemplifies his talent for combining diverse techniques to reveal how protein-chromophore interactions produce dramatic colour changes. In parallel, Raftery introduced the S-SWAT (softer single-wavelength anomalous technique) method, a streamlined data-collection protocol designed to accelerate protein structure determination. By reducing the number of wavelengths required while maintaining phase information quality, this approach supports the growing demand for high-throughput crystallography in structural genomics. Raftery’s contributions are particularly valuable for researchers seeking efficient, automated pipelines in protein structure solution, and his work continues to influence both fundamental biophysical chemistry and applied structural biology.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1
- 2