Research in the group is focussed on creating new methods to precisely engineer proteins. O These methods are then applied to challenges across engineering biology including precision formation of biopharmaceuticals such as antibody-drug conjugates and vaccines, and the reengineering of cells. Current major projects include IMProGlyco, an EIC-funded project, to reprogramme cellular glycosylation and ACROPATH,…
Our lab carries out cross-disciplinary research dissecting the properties of cell walls and their function in cell-to-cell communication. We characterized (and developed molecular probes for) a beta-1,3 glucan polymer present in plants, algae, fungi and bacterial cell wall and found applications in the development of bio-inspired materials (hydrogels) that could be used in drug delivery…
My work in relation to Engineering Biology is understanding and controlling the properties and phase behaviour of lipid membranes, from simple model membranes to complex full lipid extracts. I study the mechanisms of phase separation, behaviour around critical points, the coupling of membrane dynamics to water/surfaces and protein interactions and synthetic polymersomes. I use Atomic…
My research covers two technical domains. Firstly, our lab uses an in vivo high throughput assay in either a directed evolution or deep mutational scanning format to develop intrinsically stable and tractable proteins. Secondly, we have developed both specific assays and general frameworks to identify protein therapeutics with the critical quality attributes necessary to be…
We are engineering ribosomes and membrane protein quality-control systems to improve folding and expression of antibodies and membrane proteins. In parallel, we are manipulating liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) to create programmable intracellular microenvironments that control protein fate. This work will enable reliable production of complex biologics and expand therapeutic possibilities.
We use the latest generation of microscopic, tomographic and spectroscopic X-ray analysis techniques at national and international facilities (especially at Diamond Light Source, www.diamond.ac.uk, and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, www.esrf.fr) to establish the molecular basis for biochemical processes relevant for medicine development. This work is extremely interdisciplinary, combining aspects of biology, medicine, chemistry, physics,…
Our group works in the field of chemical biology, applying chemical tools to understand dynamic protein function and small molecule mode of action in cells and at the molecular level. We use covalent chemistry to modify specific proteins or protein families in live cells. The aim is to visualise, identify (via downstream proteomics) and/or perturb…
I am interested in micro-environments, especially those found in relation to bacterial infections. Specifically, I look at the extracellular matrix of bacterial biofilms, modelling the molecular structures found there, and then use these models to assess and predict the movement of small molecules (e.g. pharmaceuticals, antimicrobials) through these extracellular spaces. Ultimately, my work can lead…
We have expertise on artificial cells. vesicle-based drug delivery and LNP formulations , including: 1. Metabolite-triggered drug release systems. 2. Vesicle in hydrogel drug delivery depots that can be sprayed over target tissue during laparoscopic surgery. 3. Hybrid vesicles with tuneable drug release rates. 4. Enhanced LNP formulations for improved storage stability and tissue-specific targeting….
I am interested in the effect of nanoscale confinement on physical and chemical processes underpinning life. I have found that nucleic acid-nucleic acid and nucleic acid-enzyme interactions proceed qualitatively differently in dense and ordered nanosystems than bulk solutions, suggesting that enzyme diffusion can be controlled in DNA-based nanoreactors. Keywords: DNA-RNA Nanotechnology, Surfaces, AFM, Enzymes.