Tomas Malinauskas

I am a structural biologist dedicated to unraveling the molecular mechanisms governing cell surface receptor signaling, with a particular emphasis on their implications for human health and disease. By employing X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy coupled with structure-guided biophysical and cellular assays, I have elucidated numerous receptor-ligand interactions and downstream signaling pathways throughout my career. My research focuses on signaling pathways orchestrating the development of all multicellular organisms (Wnt, Bone morphogenetic protein, and Hedgehog), neuron growth (Neogenin-Repulsive Guidance Molecules and Plexins-Semaphorins), and synaptic transmission (gamma-aminobutyric acid receptors). My aim is to shed light on disease mechanisms and identify innovative strategies for therapeutic intervention, ultimately striving to improve patient healthcare.

If you require a structural perspective for your project, please feel free to email me. I am happy to assist with anything from advising on protein constructs and expression to analyzing the structure-function relationship of the target protein (e.g., the impact of mutations), and creating structural figures and movies for your papers.

Please note that I left Oxford at the end of 2025 and am now working at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge. My new email address is tomasm@mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk

Main publications:

1. Malinauskas, T.*^, **, Moore, G.*, Rudolf, A.F.*, Eggington, H., Belnoue-Davis, H., El Omari, K., Griffiths, S.C., Woolley, R.E., Duman, R., Wagner, A., Leedham, S.J., Baldock, C., Ashe, H.L.**, and Siebold, C.**. Molecular Mechanism of BMP Signal Control by Twisted Gastrulation. Nat. Commun., 15 (1): 4976 (2024). * These authors contributed equally. ** Co-corresponding authors.
2. Robinson, R.A.*, Griffiths, S.C.*, van de Haar*, L.L., Malinauskas, T.*, van Battum, E.Y., Zelina, P., Schwab, R.A., Karia, D., Malinauskaite, L., Brignani, S., van den Munkhof, M.H., Düdükcü, Ö., De Ruiter, A.A., Van den Heuvel, D.M.A., Bishop, B., Elegheert, J., Aricescu, A.R., Pasterkamp, R.J., and Siebold, C. Simultaneous binding of Guidance Cues NET1 and RGM blocks extracellular NEO1 signaling. Cell,  184 (8): 2103–2120 (2021). * These authors contributed equally.
3. Malinauskas, T.*, Peer, T.V., Bishop, B., Mueller, T.D.*, and Siebold, C*. Repulsive Guidance Molecules lock Growth Differentiation Factor 5 in an inhibitory complex. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 117 (27), 15620–15631 (2020). * Co-corresponding authors.
4. Zhao, Y.*, Malinauskas, T.*, Harlos, K., and Jones, E.Y. Structural insights into the inhibition of Wnt signaling by cancer antigen 5T4/Wnt-activated inhibitory factor 1. Structure, 22 (4), 612–620 (2014). * These authors contributed equally.
5. Janssen, B.J.C.*, Malinauskas, T.*, Weir, G.A., Cader, M.Z., Siebold, C., and Jones, E.Y. Neuropilins lock secreted semaphorins onto plexins in a ternary signalling complex. Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol., 19 (12), 1293–1299 (2012). * These authors contributed equally.
6. Malinauskas, T., Aricescu, A.R., Lu, W., Siebold, C., and Jones, E.Y. Modular mechanism of Wnt signaling inhibition by Wnt inhibitory factor 1. Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol., 18 (8), 886–893 (2011).