Biosensor research, electrochemistry, SERS, nanotechnology.
My research group is interested in understanding the fundamental interactions between biomolecules and physical systems. This involves both electrochemical and photochemical research, the ultimate goal of which is the integration of physical sciences and life sciences for the benefit of applications and understanding in medicine. Our research focuses on arrays of biosensors, new imaging modalities or combinations thereof. Devices resulting from these studies find early applications in biosensors but also have enormous potential for the study of dynamics within cells.
SERS nanosensors are engineered nanoparticles which can be used to monitor or image physiological processes inside cells. We have recently demonstrated that our nanosensors can be delivered to cells without impairing cell growth or causing cell death - this is a prerequisite of any intracellular sensing mechanism. We have also demonstrated that our sensors can be made sensitive to concentrations of specific proteins by coating them with aptamers, or to factors such as pH or redox potential by coating them with engineered small molecules. Or ongoing work, in collaboration with colleagues in the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, will investigate the importance of redox potential in the regulation of a variety of important physiological processes.
Microarray is a format that allows the creation of orderly patterns of small features. Features can be molecules such as proteins or DNA and such microarrays can thus be used to screen biological samples for multiple biomarkers. We work with both protein and DNA microarrays in a variety of formats and our research interests include new amplification methods, arrays of nanoswitches, new microarray imaging modalities and protein microarrays for label-free cell phenotyping.
Published by Chemistry
webmaster.
School of Chemistry, Joseph Black Building, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, Scotland
EH9 3JJ.
Tel : +44 (0)131 650 7546, Fax : +44 (0)131 650 6453.
Last modified:
Tuesday, 02-Aug-2011 13:05:19 BST
Unless explicitly stated otherwise, all material is copyright © The University
of Edinburgh.
Privacy Policy
