Chemical Biology
The chemical biology research group conducts research critical to the scientific community, with significant implications to public well-being. We answer fundamental biology questions and develop technologies that are useful for practical applications.
Our work covers a wide range of topics including; natural product biosynthesis, mechanistic investigation of therapeutic candidates, investigations of disease targets, labelling of biomolecules for product design and creating new-to-nature biomolecules. By integrating expertise across various disciplines, we strive to advance the frontiers of scientific knowledge and innovation.
Students in our group become equipped with diverse skills and techniques in:
- Natural Product Chemistry
- isolation and characterisation of bioactive compounds
- biosynthesis natural products and their derivatives with alternative bioactivity
- Agricultural Science
- development of biopesticides and growth enhancers
- plant-microbe interactions
- Protein Technology
- genetic code expansion for novel protein functions
- protein engineering and directed evolution
- Enzyme/Biocatalysis
- design and engineering of biocatalysts for potential industrial applications
- mechanistic studies of enzyme function
- Computational Biology
- de novo protein design using computational tools
- molecular dynamics simulations
- Experimental Techniques
- high-throughput screening
- protein crystallography and structural biology
- mass spectrometry and kinetic analysis
Our research is interdisciplinary, involving collaborations with experts in fields of physical chemistry, pharmacy, bioscience and medicine. We maintain strong connections with industry, including partnerships with biotech companies like Epsilogen, EnzyTag, and Syngenta, to translate our research into practical applications. These partnerships provide students with a comprehensive skill set, preparing them for diverse careers in academia, industry, and other high-education sectors.
Contacts
Administrative contact(s)
Dr Ben Ward
Administrative contact
We have an experienced and innovation team working across a range of biological chemistry fields:
Protein science underpins every facet of our daily lives. Investigations of proteins have provided answers to important biological phenomena, such as the study of antibacterial peptides and cancer markers. The application of these findings results in the creation of chemical biological tools that facilitate new insights, like peptide ligases, as well as biotherapeutics with direct benefits to the general public, such as semaglutide, Trastuzumab emtansine and insulin detemir.
The research in this area strives to master the chemistry underlying protein applications. Students will gain hands-on experience in protein preparation and modification, enzyme design, high-throughput screening, protein crystallography, mass spectrometry, kinetic analysis and high-throughput techniques. Using chemical protein synthesis, we reveal atomistic insights into how naturally found bacteriocins confer broad-spectrum nanogram activity against bacterial pathogens, paving the way to target the rise of microbial resistance encountered in hospitals. Meanwhile, we adapt genetic code expansion and other biocatalysts such as peptide ligases to create unique proteins with novel bioactivity.
Signalling via small lipophilic molecules is involved at all levels of external communication between organisms from all of the living kingdoms. Well-known are the pheromones which communicate between members of the same species with a wide diversity of semiochemicals communicating between species. In animals, such as insects, pheromones and other semiochemicals produced largely by biotechnological means provide sustainable means of managing pests of agriculture and vectors of pathogens of human and farm animals, as well as in managing beneficial organisms.
We use sophisticated approaches in capturing the semiochemicals which are often unstable chemically and present at extremely low concentrations, and make tentative structural assignments by mass spectrometry coupled chromatography involving state of the art technology. Confirmation of structure is by comparison with NMR authenticated samples from other sources including organic synthesis. Formulation is developed particularly for highly sensitive compounds and collaboration with Industry for practical development. Crucial to this work is collaboration, with the School of Biosciences, for directly coupled chromatographic separation with electrophysiological recordings from olfactory organs including single olfactory neurons.
Our research pushes the boundaries of what is possible and is inherently interdisciplinary, involving collaborations with experts in fields ranging from physical chemistry to clinical biology or technologies underpinning sustainable food production. We maintain strong connections with industry, including biotechnological companies like Epsilogen, EnzyTag and Caelimp to translate our research into practical applications. This cross-disciplinary approach provides students with a comprehensive skill set, preparing them for diverse careers in academia and industry.
PGR supervisors working in this area include:
Projects
We have an extensive list of research projects that our supervisors are currently working on and we welcome applicants interested in these projects.
Applicants for these projects do need to have secured funding for themselves. This could be from external sponsors, student loans or self-funding.
In addition to this we have range of research projects with external funding. Please check you meet any specific funding eligibility criteria before applying.
You are welcome to contact the academics directly for an informal chat, or further information.
All applications should be made via the Cardiff University application service.
Funding
You can search our studentships or find out more about funding.
Tuition fees
Students from the UK
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Students from the EU, EEA and Switzerland
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Students from the rest of the world (international)
Programme information
For programme structure, entry requirements and how to apply, visit the Chemistry programme.
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